Objective: To understand the experiences of people living with early onset Parkinson’s disease (EOPD) and exercise trainers regarding the safety, feasibility, acceptability and perceived benefits of participating in a community gym program tailored to individual needs.

Background: Exercise is a key determinant of wellbeing yet can be challenging to incorporate into daily routines, especially for people with PD. The feasibility, safety and acceptability of therapeutic exercises have not been reported for people with EOPD.

Method: A qualitative analysis was performed as part of a Phase-I trial on strength-based exercise delivered in a community gym [1, 2]. Adults < 50 years old with EOPD attended 16 individual, 1-hr, twice-weekly sessions delivered by exercise trainers. The programs were designed by physiotherapists with consumer panel input. Participants with EOPD and trainers completed 1:1 semi-structured interviews following the eight-week intervention. Trainers received education on PD and how to deliver exercises safely, including monitoring for and responding to PD symptoms. Physiotherapists provided ongoing supervision of the exercise trainers. The qualitative analysis used a descriptive approach [3] combined with reflexive thematic analysis [4].

Results: Eight individuals living with EOPD and eight exercise trainers completed the interviews following Sandelowski’s principles [3]. Three main themes emerged (i) the program was viable and well-received, with trainees reporting gains in self-confidence and physical function, “It was good exercise for strength and flexibility, I think stiffness improved as well”; (ii) delivery was considered to be safe by both the trainers and trainees. The exercise trainers placed high value on the pre-program education and ongoing physiotherapist support, “I hadn’t worked with PD before… I felt like I was supported to do the right thing”; (iii) some people with EOPD advised that attendance and adherence could be affected by work, family demands or challenges travelling to the gym, “It was hard fitting around work, it made my days really long.” For a small number of people with EOPD the program required adaptations to guard against excess fatigue or concomitant conditions such as low back pain or arthritis.

Conclusion: A physiotherapy-supported, community gym exercise therapy program was reported to be safe, acceptable and beneficial for EOPD.

References: 1. Harris DM, Thwaites C, Callisaya ML, Mouer R, Blazé R, Clifford AM, et al. Safety and feasibility of implementing gym-based strength training for people with early onset Parkinson’s disease: a phase 1 trial. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2025:1-12.

2. Thwaites C, Harris DM, Callisaya ML, Mouer R, Clifford AM, Blazé R, et al. Physiotherapist-led community gymnasium exercises for individuals with early onset Parkinson’s: a qualitative analysis. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2026:1-13.

3. Sandelowski M. What’s in a name? Qualitative description revisited. Research in Nursing & Health. 2010;33(1):77-84.

4. Braun V, Clarke V, Hayfield N, Davey L, Jenkinson E. Doing reflexive thematic analysis. Supporting research in counselling and psychotherapy: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research: Springer; 2023. p. 19-38.

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