A novel program at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital and Edgewater Fitness Center is helping people with Parkinson’s disease improve mobility and social connections: ping-pong, formally known as table tennis.
The program began in late 2023 as a collaboration between Mike DeBartolo, who has had Parkinson’s for more than a decade, and Linda Egan, the Parkinson’s disease program coordinator at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. DeBartolo says that throughout his experience with the disease, exercise has always come naturally to him. The Wilmette resident plays tennis and golf, but ping-pong offers an even more easily accessible activity.
Currently, about 50 people have registered for the program, made possible by a grant from the Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital Women’s Board. About 15 to 20 people attend each session. “Ping-pong is beneficial because it addresses strength, balance, coordination, and motor planning — all affected by Parkinson’s disease,” Egan says.
Exercise physiologists with additional Parkinson’s-specific training teach each session, and DeBartolo hopes this program inspires other health centers in the U.S. He adds that “being in community with others who have the disease and being grateful for what we have in life” improves quality of life.
Originally published in the Fall 2024/Winter 2025 print issue.
Clavel Rangel is a Venezuelan journalist and co-founder of the Network of Journalists from the Venezuelan Amazon.
