On Friday morning, Neoliet in Eindhoven held a climbing class for a special group: people with Parkinson’s, a disease significantly affecting muscle movement.
It was the first course in the Netherlands specifically for people with Parkinson’s. It has existed in the United States for some time, with positive results for people suffering from this disease.
Initiator Ton van den Berg found this out after, as an experienced climber himself, he was diagnosed with the disease. ‘The first thing I noticed was that I became less strong on one side,’ he says of the beginning of his disease progression.
‘So then, at some point, climbing also goes down. At some point, your motor skills and balance also deteriorate a bit. You do notice that by the climbing level you have.’ A sports psychologist pointed him to the climbing groups for people with Parkinson’s in America. With that information, he went to Neoliet’s manager, Leo Broekmans.
Motor skills
Parkinson’s affects muscle movement and brain function. Climbing involves thinking about what you will do, using your muscles and staying balanced.
‘You stand in front of a climbing wall and you see holds, and you have to start thinking of ‘okay, I have to go from that hold to that hold, how am I going to do that?’ And you have to start translating that into movements in your body. That helps combat Parkinson’s symptoms,’ Broekmans explains. ‘With climbing, you make big movements with the whole body, which is one of the important aspects in Parkinson’s,’ Van den Berg adds.
Climbing with this condition is not easy, but the course participants were still enthusiastic. ‘I was looking forward to it a bit,’ explains Gerard Roodklif, one of the course participants. ‘I thought, ‘Should I still be doing that at my age?’ But at our care group, they said, ‘Yes, you can do that.’ Well, we did it and indeed can do it,’ he says proudly. ‘It was grandiose. I had the day of my life, honestly.’
Positive
‘I am satisfied. I tried hard to feel as much as possible what it is,’ says Rinie, another course participant. ‘And I think it’s very positive for Parkinson’s because of the movements and those muscles you don’t use as much otherwise.’
The mental aspect of climbing also helps participants: it makes climbers forget for a while that they have Parkinson’s.
‘I don’t think you have time to think about that,’ explains Gerard. ‘You just think, can I grab that grip, or can I grab that other one?’ That’s also what Tom loves about the sport. ‘When climbing, I’m not thinking about anything else. If you’re hanging on the wall, you can only get to the top if you’re just busy climbing. Then you don’t have time to think about other things.’
Abseiling
Going up is fun, but going down also pleases. The trainees are attached to a rope, and upon reaching the end of a climbing route, they return to the ground suspended. ‘The very best thing is that when you’re at the top, you can tap the top: that’s the reward for when you’ve made it. And afterwards you can abseil down nicely, which is also very nice to do,’ Rinie thinks. Gerard also finds that one of the most enjoyable parts of the day. ‘I thought that was cool. Those jumps and stuff,’ he laughs.
The climbing course lasts five weeks, but Neoliet hopes to start a permanent group if the enthusiasm continues.
Source: Studio040.nl
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan
