Today we’d like to introduce you to Nina Mosier.
Hi Nina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When I stepped away from my career as an internist to focus on my two young children, I never imagined I’d become the co-founder of a nonprofit. Then my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and my professional trajectory took a new path.
I grew up in Philadelphia in an incredibly close family, but by the time Dad was diagnosed, I was living in Austin with my own family. He was not one who gravitated toward exercise, but he made significant improvement after six weeks of physical therapy. Unfortunately, after his insurance-covered course of physical therapy ended, he wasn’t motivated to continue the prescribed exercises. That’s when I discovered a handful of studies indicating the benefits of exercise for Parkinson’s, but how few resources were available for people with Parkinson’s.
For those who are unfamiliar with Parkinson’s disease, it is a progressive, complex disease of the nervous system. Visible symptoms include tremors, stiffness, slow movement, a soft voice, and balance problems resulting from dopamine loss in the brain. Others are harder to see, such as apathy, depression, and sleep disturbances. There is no cure for PD, but it turns out exercise is the main disease modifier, meaning it is the only modality that can truly delay the progression of the disease and even reverse some symptoms.
As my dad’s symptoms worsened, and it was clear he needed to exercise, there weren’t any fitness classes near his home. Driving 30 minutes across town wasn’t an option. Meanwhile, one of my Austin friends had had a similar experience with her father. Together, we decided to begin a free exercise program for Austinites with PD.
It was a labor of love. We worked for free, our fitness instructors donated their time to teach classes, local churches and community centers donated space, and family and friends helped financially
Word spread quickly and within a few years we had hundreds of locals joining our 13+ local classes. An organic community of participants and caregivers formed.
Fourteen years later, Power for Parkinson’s is now an international nonprofit! We consistently host 13 weekly classes at 10 locations in Austin. In 2016, we began posting classes online and now serve people on every continent except for Antarctica! Our YouTube channel, now the leading Parkinson’s exercise platform, has a library of 2,000 videos receiving 250,000 views every month.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting a nonprofit wasn’t easy! My co-founder and I learned as we went, consulting experts in different areas along the way. We had to hire people and spread the word about our organization. Growing from a small nonprofit to a global organization with 6 full-time employees was a big shift. One of my proudest accomplishments is mastering YouTube, which has helped so many people with Parkinson’s live better lives.
Fundraising was another learning curve. In the beginning, we relied on friends and family to fund our programming. Today, we’ve built such a strong community that it’s now our primary source of support.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As the Executive Director of Power for Parkinson’s, a global nonprofit designed to bring FREE exercise classes to people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers, I’m proud that we have helped thousands of people living with Parkinson’s around the globe. Whether they live in Austin, Lakeway, Georgetown, or India, our fitness classes help them manage their symptoms.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s, so exercise is vital medicine. Research shows that daily movement can slow and even reverse some of the disease’s effects. With Parkinson’s being the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease worldwide, the demand for our symptom-focused services is greater than ever.
My team and I work hard to stay current with the latest medical research. What sets us apart is our approach: every class includes fun brain challenges and cardio components, both seated and standing options that are all free and accessible worldwide. Whether you live in a city, suburb, or rural town, all you need to do is tune in on YouTube for over 2000 high quality fitness videos.
Most of all, I’m proud of my team. They are the engine that runs Power for Parkinson’s. In 2025 we launched in person and online classes for Spanish speakers. In 2026, we introduced a Vocal Power Hour class with the help of several local Austin musicians to help participants strengthen their voices. And our fitness instructors are so much fun that people keep coming back. To me, that says it all!
Any big plans?
We’re always planning! Our next steps are to find a larger space for our in-person Spanish classes and add classes in a couple of new locations. We also just launched our instructor certification course so talented fitness professionals can bring classes to their communities. With our expertise in seated exercise, we also hope others recovering from a medical setback or other mobility issues will find our channel useful to rebuild their strength and fitness safely.
On December 6, we will be holding our 6th Annual Creative Showcase. Many people with Parkinson’s often discover a creative spark, and we highlight it at this special free event every year. We will transform our space into a gallery with visual arts from the Parkinson’s community and will have performances from our dance and vocal classes, along with spoken word and other musical performances. Learn more at www.powerforparkinsons.org and www.youtube.com/@powerforparkinsons.
Pricing:
- FREE
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.powerforparkinsons.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerforparkinsons
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powerforparkinsons
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/power-for-parkinsons/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/powerforparkinsons
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@powerforparkinsons
