SINGAPORE \u2013 Lim Mui Huang has been attending specially curated group fitness sessions twice a week since July to help her stay mobile while living with Parkinson\u2019s disease (PD).<\/p>\n
Diagnosed with the condition two years ago, the 61-year-old began to experience what she considers disruptive symptoms in 2026, when the stiffness in her back made it challenging for her to keep her posture upright.<\/p>\n
The progressive neurodegenerative disorder,<\/span><\/a> caused by the gradual loss of dopamine-producing brain cells, leads to tremors, muscle stiffness, slowed movement, and non-motor symptoms such as fatigue and mood changes.<\/p>\n In addition to strength training exercises, Lim has also had help with the physical needs of daily living during the curated fitness sessions. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine I have to relearn getting in and out of the car,\u201d said Lim, who used to work in a senior human resources role.<\/p>\n \u201cKEEP brings back the confidence,\u201d she said of a new programme that comes under a $4.48 million initiative aimed at helping people living with PD.<\/p>\n Kickstart Exercise and Empower Parkinson\u2019s, or KEEP, which kicked off in January, introduces structured group exercises, occupational therapy and mental health support for patients in the early to middle stages of the neurological condition.<\/p>\n It was officially launched on Aug 17 by the Lien Foundation in partnership with Parkinson Society Singapore (PSS), NHG Health\u2019s Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) and other SingHealth institutions.<\/p>\n Lim is among the 2,000 people living with PD who are expected to benefit from the initiative to help them maintain their mobility, mental health and independence through community-based rehabilitation over the next five years.<\/p>\n KEEP is currently available at five day rehabilitation centres \u2013 three at NTUC Health, one at St Luke\u2019s Hospital and one at PSS.<\/p>\n By 2027, it will be progressively rolled out across eight more day rehabilitation centres operated by six community care providers in Singapore, including NTUC Health, AWWA, Care Corner, St Luke\u2019s and PSS.<\/p>\n Lien Foundation and the organisations behind KEEP want to help redefine what living well with PD can look like, said Lien Foundation chief executive Lee Poh Wah at the PSS centre in Bishan, where the launch was held.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine living in a body that gradually stops obeying us… Early and sustained rehab is the first line of defence but under-recognised,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n PD affects three in every 1,000 people aged 50 and above in Singapore. In 2026, it is estimated that more than 10,000 people here are living with PD, given Singapore\u2019s ageing population.<\/p>\n Medicine is essential for the multi-domain PD. So is regular physical activity, which is associated with better mobility, greater independence in daily activities and a slower decline in balance and walking ability over time, said clinical associate professor Tay Kay Yaw, head and senior consultant at NNI\u2019s Regional Department of Neurology (North).<\/p>\n But many who have PD, held back by their symptoms, struggle to keep active on their own.<\/p>\n It is not just about knowing what exercises are safe to do, but also how much is enough. \u201cIs sweeping the floor and going to the FairPrice supermarket enough?\u201d Tay said.<\/p>\n KEEP was designed by a multidisciplinary team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, medical social workers, and PD movement disorder specialists from NNI and TTSH.<\/p>\n It includes 24 sessions of hour-long group rehabilitation to improve fitness and address movement challenges, as well as occupational therapy and physiotherapy sessions to help them maintain independence in daily activities, prevent falls, and stay engaged in their homes and communities.<\/p>\n KEEP was designed by a multidisciplinary team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, medical social workers and PD movement disorder specialists from NNI and TTSH.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n As PD warriors, as those with PD are called, are prone to depression, KEEP also offers three weeks of cognitive rehabilitation training following mental health screening, assessment and intervention for psychological and depressive symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n Caregivers are also included. They will get six sessions of caregiver training to better understand PD and how to adjust their daily routines and expectations.<\/p>\n PSS will serve as the master trainer and primary training site for community partners in the enhancement of rehabilitation standards. A second centre will be launched, with $1.2 million from Lien Foundation\u2019s investment of $4.48 million set aside for it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n SINGAPORE \u2013 Lim Mui Huang has been attending specially curated group fitness sessions twice a week since July to help her stay mobile while living…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":77271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=77270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77270\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/77271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=77270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=77270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=77270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/picture><\/div>
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