sfw | PROFILES
In this Corner – Hope Rock Steady Boxing punches back at Parkinson’s disease By Jill Funke | Photos by Kelly Middlebrooks
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arkinson’s disease affects approximately 1 million people in the U.S., and there is currently no cure. Physical symptoms of the condition include tremors, slowed or strained motion, muscle rigidity, poor posture, shuffling gait, and diminished balance. Other losses include reduced cognition, slurred speech, depression, and other emotional changes. The physical and mental declines associated with Parkinson’s disease are debilitating, yet there is growing evidence that indicates the positive impacts that exercise has on Parkinson’s disease. This evidence led to founding the Rock Steady Boxing program in 2006 in Indiana. Since then, non-contact boxing gyms dedicated to people with Parkinson’s disease have sprung up nationwide. At the Inn on Westport in Sioux Falls, Rock Steady Boxing instructor Lisa Howard leads her boxers through forced-intensity workouts designed to counteract the effects of the condition and delay its progression. She says, “When the boxers walk into our gym, I treat them like athletes, not people with Parkinson’s. Our workouts are not easy, and it’s been so amazing to see all the boxers step up and master our drills, but it’s especially fun to see our lady fighters bring their “A” games and keep up with all the men! They are dealing with this disease with grace and true tenacity! While boxers do not participate in matches or spar with others, they join in workouts that focus on strength, balance, speed, hand-eye coordination, flexibility, agility, and cognition, which in turn increase their mental focus, reduce their stress levels, and improve their mood and outlook on life. Those who participate in the boxing workouts maintain a better level of function than those who elect to perform other forms of exercise. 60
April/May 2024