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More than 65 million Americans are 65 or older — nearly 1 in 5 people in the country. By 2060 nearly 1 in 4 Americans will be 65 or older.
That growth brings a sharp rise in the two brain diseases most closely tied to aging: Alzheimer's and other dementias, and Parkinson's disease.
7.4M
Alzheimer's and dementia
7.4 million Americans 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's today — about 1 in 9 people in that age group. That number is projected to reach 13.8 million by 2060.
1.1M
Parkinson's disease
About 1.1 million Americans are living with Parkinson's, and nearly 90,000 more are diagnosed every year. By 2030, 1.2 million are expected to be living with the disease.
Neuro.up was created specifically to close the brain health gap for aging Americans. Founder Vickie Aigner drew on more than 45 years in senior fitness and neurological wellness to build a program where every movement has a purpose in the brain:
that build new neural pathways and strengthen memory and focus
that boost dopamine and help the brain initiate smoother movement
that shift the nervous system out of stress and into rest-and-restore
that help participants stay independent longer
It's grounded in the same science behind landmark research like the FINGER study, which found that combining exercise, cognitive training and social engagement helps protect older adults from cognitive decline. Neuro.up is trusted by health care leaders like Optum, Barrow Neurological Institute and the Parkinson's Foundation, and classes see a 98–99% return rate.
Neuro.up is one proven program with two specialized tracks: one for dementia and Alzheimer's, and one for Parkinson's disease. Professionals choose the track they want to specialize in, or can choose to do both tracks, with a 50% discount on the second track.
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Help the brain keep building — at every stage.
People living with dementia still respond to rhythm, music, laughter and connection. Neuro.up for Dementia & Alzheimer's is built around that truth. Its movements are chosen for their effect on the brain, so every class works on memory, mood and the body at the same time.
Memory and thinking
Cross-lateral movements engage both sides of the brain at once, and pattern progressions are learned, repeated and layered week over week. This builds new neural connections and supports memory, focus and recall — neuroplasticity in action.
Agitation and sundowning
Breathwork, rhythmic shaking, clapping and laughter shift the nervous system from fight-or-flight into rest-and-restore, lowering stress hormones like cortisol. Instructors learn targeted techniques for calming agitation and sundowning.
Mood and connection
Music and shared joy release serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin, easing anxiety and depression and reducing the isolation that raises dementia risk.
Balance and independence
Safe strength, balance and mobility work helps participants stay steady on their feet and independent longer.
Why demand is strong
Activities and memory care directors need fully designed, dementia-specific programming they can count on, and families increasingly choose a community based on the quality of its programs. A recognized program like neuro.up gives communities something they can proudly put in front of families — and they budget for it, spending about $2,500 per resident per year on activities.
Parkinson's is a dopamine story. Neuro.up helps write the next chapter.
Parkinson's gradually destroys the dopamine-producing neurons in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. Dopamine is the chemical messenger the brain uses to start and control smooth movement, so as it drops, movement becomes slow, stiff, shaky and unpredictable. Neuro.up for Parkinson's is designed to answer that story directly.
Dopamine and neuroprotection
Movement to music, clapping, laughter and social connection trigger the brain's dopamine and reward systems. Regular, purposeful exercise also helps protect the dopamine-producing neurons that remain.
Gait, balance and bigger movement
Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) uses the beat of music to help the brain work around damaged movement circuits, improving stride length, walking speed and timing. Amplitude training teaches participants to "think big," improving posture and everyday mobility.
Rigidity, tremor and stress
Breathwork and rhythmic shaking calm the nervous system, and when stress drops, rigidity and tremor often ease too.
Mood, motivation and thinking
Dual-task brain challenges and joyful group connection support focus and processing speed, and help ease the depression, anxiety and apathy that often come with Parkinson's.
Why demand is strong
Doctors now recommend exercise as part of Parkinson's treatment. The Parkinson's Foundation and the American College of Sports Medicine advise 150 minutes a week, so every new diagnosis is someone looking for a class — and many stay for years. Leading Parkinson's centers already run 100+ classes a month and are still looking for programs like neuro.up.
Neuro.up classes run every week across Arizona and New Mexico, with a 98% participant return rate in dementia classes and 99% in Parkinson's classes. When participants feel the difference, they keep coming back — and that means steady, recurring work for the instructors who teach them. Certified neuro.up instructors (25-hour Instructor Certification) typically earn $60–$100 per one-hour class, depending on market and setting.
Teaching opportunities and rates are not guaranteed.
Now, we're opening neuro.up certification to fitness professionals. When you become a certified neuro.up instructor through our 25-hour Instructor Certification, you're not starting from scratch — you're getting a proven program with a recognized name, a full year of class plans, and an expert team behind you. This is your chance to be a part of the senior fitness wave taking over the industry.
The course is online and self-paced. Every module combines written lessons with video instruction, and every move is demonstrated on video so you can learn it, practice it and teach it correctly.
Step 1 · Both tracks
The base for both tracks. You'll learn:
Step 2 · Choose one track
Want both? Take the second track at 50% off.
Step 3 · Optional · Required for the 25-hour Instructor Certification
Observe, assist and teach under guidance with the Alive, Fit & Free team, with feedback from experienced neuro.up instructors. Completing it is what certifies and licenses you to teach neuro.up classes. Without it, you earn the 15-hour Certificate of Completion.
Best for
Professionals who want to teach and promote neuro.up classes under the neuro.up name
Includes
Neuro.up Foundations, one track and the 10-hour practicum
You earn
25 hours you can submit for CEC credit, neuro.up Instructor Certification and your first 12 months of teaching licensure
Class plans
A full year of weekly class plans for your track
Teach neuro.up classes
Included. This is the only path that certifies and licenses you to teach neuro.up.
AFF Instructor Network
Included
Price per course
$399 (regularly $599)
Best for
Fitness professionals who need CEC hours for their main certification and want brain health expertise
Includes
Neuro.up Foundations plus one track
You earn
15 hours you can submit for CEC credit, plus a neuro.up Certificate of Completion
Class plans
Not included
Teach neuro.up classes
Not included. A Certificate of Completion does not certify you to teach neuro.up.
AFF Instructor Network
Not included
Price per course
$399
Taking both tracks? Your second track is 50% off.
Annual renewal for certified instructors: after your first year, one $149 renewal keeps your teaching license, course access, updates and new class plans current for every neuro.up specialty you hold.
What it includes
What you'll do each year
25-hour Instructor Certification only
Senior living communities, memory care programs, health partners and Parkinson's groups come to Alive, Fit & Free every week looking for qualified instructors. Once you complete the 25-hour Instructor Certification, you're a licensed neuro.up instructor: you join our network and become eligible to be matched with these clients in your area.
Not included with the 15-hour Certificate of Completion. Class placements are not guaranteed.
Both course types
Alive, Fit & Free is newly registered with the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA) and the National Council on Strength & Fitness (NCSF), so your neuro.up course hours count toward your continuing education.
Check your certifying body's CEC requirements before you enroll.
Fitness instructors, personal trainers, group exercise leaders, activity directors and wellness professionals who work with, or want to work with, older adults.
No. The course teaches you the disease, the moves and how to lead a class. You should have a current fitness credential and CPR/AED certification to become a licensed instructor.
You have 12 months of course access. Renewing each year keeps your access, updates and new class plans.
The 15-hour course is built for professionals who need CEC hours: it gives you the full training, 15 hours you can submit toward your main fitness certification and a Certificate of Completion. The 25-hour path adds a 10-hour practicum with our team, makes you a certified and licensed neuro.up instructor, and adds you to the AFF Instructor Network. Only the 25-hour path certifies you to teach neuro.up classes.
No. The 15-hour Certificate of Completion gives you the training and CEC hours, but only the 25-hour Instructor Certification certifies and licenses you to teach classes under the neuro.up name.
Instructors who complete the 25-hour Instructor Certification join our network and are matched with clients who come to us looking for instructors. We can't guarantee placements, but we share opportunities as they come in.
Yes. Foundations is shared, and you'll get 50% off your second track. One $149 renewal covers both.
Enroll today and start learning right away. Choose your track, choose your path, and you'll go straight to the course page to begin your first module.
Have questions first? We're happy to help you choose the right track and path.
The senior population is growing every year, and so is the number of people living with dementia and Parkinson's. Communities, care providers and families are searching for instructors who truly understand these conditions — and there aren't enough of them yet.
Neuro.up is the science-backed brain health program for aging Americans, trusted by Optum, ArchWell Health, Barrow Neurological Institute and the Parkinson's Foundation — and the 25-hour Instructor Certification makes you part of it. You'll set yourself apart from general fitness instructors with a recognized, respected specialty that pays $60–$100 per class, opens doors to senior living, health care and community clients, and builds steady, recurring work with participants who keep coming back.
Most of all, you'll leave every class knowing you helped someone move better, feel calmer, laugh more and stay connected. That's the work neuro.up instructors get to do every week.
The 15-hour Certificate of Completion includes the full training, video lessons and 15 CEC hours. It does not include class plans, the practicum, the AFF Instructor Network or certification to teach neuro.up classes.
Your next specialty starts here.
