logo
Parkinson's patients in Brazil turn to a movement practice known as capoeira to ease symptoms

Parkinson's patients in Brazil turn to a movement practice known as capoeira to ease symptoms

Japan Today7 days ago
Physical therapist Rosemeire Peixoto, left, founder of a project called 'Parkinson's in the swing,' leads a capoeira class for people with Parkinson's disease at the Progress Foundry cultural center, in Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
By ELÉONORE HUGHES
Nilma Teles de Freitas, an 80-year-old retired teacher in Brazil who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease more than a decade ago, says she used to fall over all the time.
That changed after she began attending a capoeira class in downtown Rio de Janeiro especially designed for people with the neurodegenerative illness.
Capoeira is a movement practice that originated within the large enslaved communities in Brazil, where nearly 5 million kidnapped Africans disembarked during the transatlantic slave trade that started in the 16th century.
It is considered both a martial art and a dance, combining ritual, exercise, spirituality and music.
'Capoeira gives me freedom to work on my body. What I can do. What I can't do. So I can have balance and a more comfortable life,' Teles de Freitas said during a recent class.
Practiced for centuries by Afro-Brazilians, it has since become popular around the world. UNESCO recognized the practice in 2014 as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The project started in 2018 with physical therapist Rosimeire Peixoto, 60, who at that point had been attending capoeira classes herself for over a decade.
After working with many patients with Parkinson's, she said she became convinced that introducing them to capoeira may help alleviate some of their symptoms.
Parkinson's has a range of different symptoms, and along with difficulties in balancing, some common ones include slowness of movement, tremors and stooped posture. Patients can also experience anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders and nausea.
'I had the idea after reading an article that said alternating both hands when using a cell phone stimulates both hemispheres of the brain,' she said. 'And as a physiotherapist treating neurological patients, I was lacking exercises that would motivate them.'
Peixoto's project was dubbed "Parkinson na ginga' — or 'Parkinson's in the swing' — a reference to the first fluid, rhythmic step that capoeira practitioners learn. She now holds classes twice a week in the Progress Foundry, a sprawling cultural center in downtown Rio next to a famed white 18th century aqueduct and surrounded by palm trees.
Capoeira helps improve balance, coordination and strength, with music loosening up tense bodies, Peixoto says.
'There is a lot happening in a capoeira circle. They feel the vibration, the energy, they pay attention to the music and to the partner to dodge blows' and to themselves, she said.
During a recent class, Peixoto walked among the students, placing a gentle hand on a back here and there to help with balance, patiently repeating demonstrations and offering words of encouragement.
Antônio de Azevedo, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few years ago, said he could hardly stand before. But since he started practicing capoeira, his stability returned.
'It's the best thing that's ever happened to me,' he said while he attended a capoeira class with around 10 other people, all with Parkinson's.
Peixoto tries to make the classes a fun and social event — she often suggests a group samba dance at the end of the class, and regularly brings a cake to share.
Teles de Freitas, the retired teacher, says that she loves the camaraderie among the class.
'We are there for one another,' she said. 'Feeling and conversing with friends gives strength.'
She remembers how when she got her diagnosis, she left the doctor's office crying, terrified of the future.
'Today I'm smiling," she said. "I'm managing to live. I'm managing to interact with other people. I'm managing to be happy.'
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

China fight with mosquito-borne virus stirs zero-COVID flashbacks
China fight with mosquito-borne virus stirs zero-COVID flashbacks

Nikkei Asia

time10 hours ago

  • Nikkei Asia

China fight with mosquito-borne virus stirs zero-COVID flashbacks

Economy City of Foshan deploys PCR tests, home checks, drones against chikungunya A worker sprays a garden outside a hospital in Foshan, in China's Guangdong province, on July 23, as the city scrambles to contain an outbreak of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus. © AP CISSY ZHOU HONG KONG -- The southern Chinese city of Foshan is racing to contain a mosquito-borne virus with home inspections, PCR tests and drones, conjuring memories of the country's zero-COVID days. Foshan had confirmed over 4,000 cases of chikungunya as of last Thursday, making it a hot spot for a virus that has prompted warnings from global health officials. The World Health Organization last week called for urgent action to prevent a major chikungunya epidemic from sweeping the globe, as the disease has been detected and transmitted in 119 countries.

Japan's bad medicine for its bad romance problem
Japan's bad medicine for its bad romance problem

Nikkei Asia

time2 days ago

  • Nikkei Asia

Japan's bad medicine for its bad romance problem

Parents stand with their baby on a pedestrian bridge near Mita Station in Tokyo. The average number of births per woman in Japan was just 1.15 in 2024. © AP Waka Ikeda is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist covering society, culture and the movie industry. In the late 1980s, Bon Jovi released "Bad Medicine," a song about a toxic relationship. Nearly four decades on, Japan faces its own "bad medicine" epidemic: government-prescribed dating apps, speed-dating events and marriage seminars aimed at curing a national romance crisis. But like the song's doomed love affair, these taxpayer-funded remedies may be making things worse -- offering solutions to a generation too paralyzed by self-doubt to embrace them.

Parkinson's patients in Brazil turn to a movement practice known as capoeira to ease symptoms
Parkinson's patients in Brazil turn to a movement practice known as capoeira to ease symptoms

Japan Today

time7 days ago

  • Japan Today

Parkinson's patients in Brazil turn to a movement practice known as capoeira to ease symptoms

Physical therapist Rosemeire Peixoto, left, founder of a project called 'Parkinson's in the swing,' leads a capoeira class for people with Parkinson's disease at the Progress Foundry cultural center, in Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) By ELÉONORE HUGHES Nilma Teles de Freitas, an 80-year-old retired teacher in Brazil who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease more than a decade ago, says she used to fall over all the time. That changed after she began attending a capoeira class in downtown Rio de Janeiro especially designed for people with the neurodegenerative illness. Capoeira is a movement practice that originated within the large enslaved communities in Brazil, where nearly 5 million kidnapped Africans disembarked during the transatlantic slave trade that started in the 16th century. It is considered both a martial art and a dance, combining ritual, exercise, spirituality and music. 'Capoeira gives me freedom to work on my body. What I can do. What I can't do. So I can have balance and a more comfortable life,' Teles de Freitas said during a recent class. Practiced for centuries by Afro-Brazilians, it has since become popular around the world. UNESCO recognized the practice in 2014 as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The project started in 2018 with physical therapist Rosimeire Peixoto, 60, who at that point had been attending capoeira classes herself for over a decade. After working with many patients with Parkinson's, she said she became convinced that introducing them to capoeira may help alleviate some of their symptoms. Parkinson's has a range of different symptoms, and along with difficulties in balancing, some common ones include slowness of movement, tremors and stooped posture. Patients can also experience anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders and nausea. 'I had the idea after reading an article that said alternating both hands when using a cell phone stimulates both hemispheres of the brain,' she said. 'And as a physiotherapist treating neurological patients, I was lacking exercises that would motivate them.' Peixoto's project was dubbed "Parkinson na ginga' — or 'Parkinson's in the swing' — a reference to the first fluid, rhythmic step that capoeira practitioners learn. She now holds classes twice a week in the Progress Foundry, a sprawling cultural center in downtown Rio next to a famed white 18th century aqueduct and surrounded by palm trees. Capoeira helps improve balance, coordination and strength, with music loosening up tense bodies, Peixoto says. 'There is a lot happening in a capoeira circle. They feel the vibration, the energy, they pay attention to the music and to the partner to dodge blows' and to themselves, she said. During a recent class, Peixoto walked among the students, placing a gentle hand on a back here and there to help with balance, patiently repeating demonstrations and offering words of encouragement. Antônio de Azevedo, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few years ago, said he could hardly stand before. But since he started practicing capoeira, his stability returned. 'It's the best thing that's ever happened to me,' he said while he attended a capoeira class with around 10 other people, all with Parkinson's. Peixoto tries to make the classes a fun and social event — she often suggests a group samba dance at the end of the class, and regularly brings a cake to share. Teles de Freitas, the retired teacher, says that she loves the camaraderie among the class. 'We are there for one another,' she said. 'Feeling and conversing with friends gives strength.' She remembers how when she got her diagnosis, she left the doctor's office crying, terrified of the future. 'Today I'm smiling," she said. "I'm managing to live. I'm managing to interact with other people. I'm managing to be happy.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store