Sandi Jones of Shelby Township goes to the Rochester Older Persons Commission every week with a goal in mind — to punch out Parkinson’s Disease. “I’m here to fight Parkinson’s — literally,” she said. “The secret to fighting Parkinson’s is to keep moving.”
Jones is a regular at the Boxing for Parkinson’s classes, which take place twice every Thursday afternoon in the gym. At the class, coach Carol Schram of Washington Township encourages participants to keep moving with a variety of boxing-inspired activities.
The class begins with chair stretches and then progresses to walking around the gym as a warmup. Boxers then put on gloves and proceed to throw a series of jabs, hooks, upper cuts and other swings. They punch bags of all sorts while practicing a series of combinations. Schram guides the class the entire time, offering advice on proper punches, posture and more.
“Boxing improves your balance, agility, hand/eye coordination with the speed bags, strength and everything. There was an ESPN study that said boxing is the hardest sport, I don’t know if that’s true, but it really does help every part of Parkinson’s,” Schram said. “There’s a lot of cognitive issues and voice issues, so we try to get them to use their voices too. All the muscles are affected.”
Schram’s husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 46, and that is one reason she has pursued serving as a boxing coach, she said.
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder, meaning it progressively causes nerve cells to lose function and die. Those cells produce dopamine, which coordinates movement. Parkinson’s affects about one million Americans.
Symptoms vary, but often include:
• Resting tremor, which can worsen with stress
• Slowness of movements
• Problems with balance
• A shuffling gait
• Limb stiffness
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing
• Cramped handwriting
• Speech changes
• Apathy and depression
• Constipation
• Sleep problems
• Loss of sense of smell
Many people with Parkinson’s may also develop dementia or signs of cognitive impairment. As Parkinson’s brain changes gradually spread, they often begin to affect mental functions, including memory and the ability to pay attention, make sound judgments and plan the steps needed to complete a task,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The average age of onset of Parkinson’s symptoms is 60, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Currently, there are no therapies to slow or stop the disease. While exercise such as boxing is one option, other therapies include medications, surgery, and even deep brain stimulation.
“I need this class for my balance and everything you can think of to fight Parkinson’s. It’s something you need and I love it,” said Jerry Griffin of Rochester.
https://www.theoaklandpress.com/lifestyles/vitality/seniors-knock-out-parkinson-s-disease-through-boxing-program/article_3f694f70-8941-11e9-9675-27608367a16c.html
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