Jan.4, 2016
by Admin
A Northern Michigan gym is offering a way for people to quite literally 'knock out' Parkinson’s Disease.
Fit for You gym in Traverse City is inviting you to fight Parkinson’s disease through a free boxing class.
Parkinson's Network North partnered with the gym to put it on.
Boxing and other exercise can help delay the symptoms of parkinsons.
These include tremors, slow gait, and loss of stature.
“We're asking you to move as you can, and that will give you what we call delay the symptoms. Won't cure. There is no cure for Parkinson's,” said Hettie Molvang, who works with Parkinson’s Network North.
The classes are Mondays and Thursdays at Fit for You in Traverse City.
In this corner, hope
Rock Steady Boxing gives people with Parkinson’s disease hope by improving their quality of life through a non-contact boxing based fitness curriculum.
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative movement disorder which can cause deterioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function. The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation estimates there are more than 1 million people in the United States diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and more than 60,000 people are diagnosed each year. Rock Steady Boxing is the first gym in the country dedicated to the fight against Parkinson’s.
In our gym, exercises are largely adapted from boxing drills. Boxers condition for optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and overall strength to defend against and overcome opponents. At RSB, Parkinson’s disease is the opponent. Exercises vary in purpose and form but share one common trait: they are rigorous and intended to extend the perceived capabilities of the participant.
Various studies in the 1980s and 1990s supported the notion that rigorous exercise, emphasizing gross motor movement, balance, core strength, and rhythm, could favorably impact range of motion, flexibility, posture, gait, and activities of daily living. More recent studies, most notably at Cleveland Clinic, focus on the concept of intense “forced” exercise, and have begun to suggest that certain kinds of exercise may be neuro-protective, i.e., actually slowing disease progression.
Our clients attest, and academic institutions, such as University of Indianapolis and Butler University, are reporting and documenting the improved quality of life among our boxers. Discovery of a cure may be many years away but in the last seven years, there is evidence that progress is made in all stages of the disease by those participating in the RSB program.
Call today to schedule an appointment to visit the gym, speak privately with a Coach, or watch a class in action. Please consult your physician before starting any exercise program.
Boxing may seem like an unlikely sport for a Parkinson's disease patient, but experts believe it could help delay the disease's symptoms if practised regularly.
And once you shake off the dominant image of aggressive pre-fight chat ("I want your heart, I want to eat your children") or equally aggressive post-fight brawls, it's clear why.
As a sport, boxing requires strong reflexes, agility, endurance and speed, which means it not only maintains physical fitness but stimulates the mind.
At Rock Steady US doctors hope to help Parkinson's sufferers through boxing.
Dr Elizabeth Zaube, neurologist for the charity says: "People involved in the organisation can see a difference - as well as outlook and confidence."
There is lots of research to show that exercise helps symptoms of Parkinson's disease, she explains, but it is not clear which form of exercise is best.
"Our sense is that Rock Steady is an extremely good exercise because it combines such a diverse group of forms of exercise," says Dr Zaube. "It is so varied -- everyday is a different type of routine so people don't get tired or bored."
Mary Yeaman, a Parkinson's patient and Rock Steady attendee says of the class: " I don't know what I would do without it."
Rock Steady classes are divided into four levels based upon each individual’s unique Parkinson’s symptoms and overall level of fitness. Those in the first class have mild Parkinson's symptoms that are inconvient but not debilitating and are able to reach maximum heart rate, where as those in the fourth class have more severe symptoms such as rigidity and cognitive impairments.
Former champion boxer Muhammad Ali is one of the most high profile Parkinson's sufferers and was diagnosed with the disease in 1984, aged just 42.
What causes Parkinson's? A frequently asked question, to which there is not yet a definitive answer. It is clear however, that some forms are hereditary, such as my case. Knowing your family medical history can be of great help, particularly when participating in clinical trials. In my family, several of us are unfortunate enough to have Gaucher disease AND Parkinson's - how lucky can you get?! A lot can be said for having good DNA! Other Parkinson's sufferers have no other members affected in their immediate family, so in these instances one would assume it is not hereditary. The question of environment has been raised many times, as to whether chemicals, pesticides, artificial additives in the food we eat - are contributing factors and ultimately responsible?
I have my own theory - call it a gut feeling or an inner voice, but invariably I follow my instincts. After having surgery on my right hip six years ago, I rapidly began to feel shaking in my left leg. Initially I thought it was merely weak leg muscles after being bedridden for many days, and barely able to walk, my thigh muscles were withered which did not aid a quick recovery. As the days went by, the shaking got worse, and spread to my left arm. It was at this point, that I had a gut feeling, knowing my family's medical history, that I may have the beginnings of Parkinson's. and it took just three months to confirm the diagnosis. Other indications quickly followed, and I was soon introduced to an array of unpleasant symptoms that manifest in this debilitating degenerative disease, and today I am not in the best of health.
Through my daily blog and writing for The Huffington Post UK I have come into contact with many fellow sufferers. There appears to be a common thread amongst some of us. Many with similar stories to my own, having had operations, found soon after surgery, that Parkinson's reared its ugly head. Knowing how stress and anxiety along with physical exhaustion can exacerbate Parkinson's at an alarming speed, this begs the question; if one was prone to get Parkinson's, could it be the extreme shock from the surgery itself to one's system, or the anaesthetic that "triggers" Parkinson's?
I'm not saying for one moment that I wouldn't have developed Parkinson's had I not had the hip surgery, for I am quite sure, that in my particular case, even without surgery, Parkinson's would have appeared at some point, just perhaps a little later on in my life. Maybe those who have the propensity towards Parkinson's could be prevented from suffering this disease if the trigger was determined. I don't know what or if any studies have been done regarding this train of thought. I would be interested to hear from any other patients who have similar stories, or from anyone who is doing research on this specific topic.
I'm all in favour of clinical trials, and have happily participated in quite a few. I view this involvement an important contribution that a patient can make. Hopefully someone somewhere will find what trigger's Parkinson's, solving the puzzle and a cure which millions around the world are waiting for will be found. I am the eternal optimist and wait in hope!
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/1520dcc8211496de
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