MoveWell Parkinson’s Programme

A 6-Week Evidence-Based Hybrid Exercise Programme for People Living with Parkinson’s Disease in Ireland

The MoveWell Parkinson’s Programme is a 6-week hybrid multimodal exercise and health education programme designed for people living with Parkinson’s Disease in Ireland. Combining in-person and online classes, the programme aims to improve physical function, wellbeing, and quality of life through evidence-based exercise and education.

The programme was developed and delivered by EduFIT in partnership with Laois Sports Partnership. In September 2025, the project received funding through the Sport Ireland Research Grant Scheme to evaluate the effectiveness of the MoveWell programme for people living with Parkinson’s Disease in Laois and Offaly.

Between September and December 2025, a needs analysis was conducted with individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease and healthcare professionals working in Parkinson’s care. We spoke to HSE professionals who work with people in Laois and Offaly who have Parkinson’s Disease,  the HSE Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons (ICPOP), the Laois branch of Parkinson’s Ireland and the Offaly branch of Parkinson’s Ireland. Insights gathered during this phase informed the design and structure of the MoveWell programme. The first MoveWell Parkinson’s Programme was delivered in February 2026.

Programme Structure

The programme was designed and supervised by Dr Diane Cooper (Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Health Researcher, CEO and Founder of EduFIT) and delivered by trained fitness instructors Ruth Delaney and Catherine Nicholl. Participants completed 3 exercise sessions per week for 6 weeks. This included:

  • 2 x 60-minute in-person multimodal exercise classes.
    • One class included a 10-minute health education session. Topics included intensity. ‘Move BIG’, muscle health, sleep tips, brain health, progress and recovery.
  • 1 x 45-minute online multimodal exercise class.

All classes included exercises targeting:

  • Strength
  • Balance
  • Flexibility
  • Mobility
  • Aerobic fitness

Research Study

We conducted a research study with Professor Siobhan O’Connor from DCU to explore how a structured hybrid multimodal exercise and health education programme can benefit people living with Parkinson’s Disease. Participants completed questionnaires and physical assessments before and after the programme to evaluate changes in:

  • Strength
  • Balance
  • Mobility
  • Physical activity participation
  • Fitness
  • Wellbeing
  • Quality of life
  • Perceived physical abilities

We are currently writing the research paper and hope that it will be published before September 2026.

We are currently creating a Train-the-Trainer course to upskill exercise professionals on how to design and deliver exercise classes for people living with Parkinson’s Disease.

Participant Testimonials