Parkinson's, Rock Steady Boxing and Me

Written 2019

“Boxing? You’re kidding, Gran!” exclaimed my 15-year-old grandson. “No offence, Gran, but you’re 72?!!”

Don’t you just love it when people preface an insulting comment with ‘no offence’- as if it neutralizes the insult?! I didn’t telI him that the program was for people with Parkinson’s disease. Why burst his bubble?

Parkinson’s burst my bubble almost sixteen years ago when it came knocking at my door. I tried to shut the door but Parkinson’s has its own agenda and wasn’t going anyplace. It moved into my home and slowly, over the years, into my body. At first I wondered whether the unwelcome guest had knocked on the wrong door because for quite some time my symptoms were very mild.

Oh how foolish I was! Did I honestly think I could escape unscathed? So here I am, all these years later, contemplating joining - of all things - a boxing class. A couch potato by persuasion, exercise has not been top of my list of favourite activities. It was time to do what I should have done a long time ago.

But boxing? Me? I hate boxing! I am a peace-loving individual who gets nauseated watching violence on TV! Boxing is violent. It’s all about punching an opponent until he/ she is out for the count - literally and figuratively. Worse still - this senseless activity is called a sport! How can the deliberate act of hurting another person be called a sport? It boggles the mind.

Despite that, I must admit I was intrigued when I heard that there was a boxing class for people with Parkinson’s. Scouring the internet I discovered a program called Rock Steady Boxing which is offered all over the world. Its mandate is to help people ‘fight back against Parkinson’s’ by attending boxing/exercise classes which follow a prescribed course that aims to build power, strength, flexibility and speed. Most importantly, Rock Steady Boxing is non-combative. Participants learn to box punching bags, not people. That settles that!

I called to arrange an appointment for their mandatory assessment in a location close to my home. Aside from the obvious safety implications, the assessment is meant to group participants into one of four levels, based on severity of Parkinson’s symptoms and level of fitness. Arriving for my appointment I noticed with some trepidation the ubiquitous punching bags - and a boxing ring! “Why is there a boxing ring,” I wondered “if we don’t punch people?” Apparently it’s just there for another program - for others who want to punch people!

The instructor - Melissa, a warm and bubbly extrovert who oozed enthusiasm for the program - put me through a series of tests which (in my view) brought to light my difficulty with balance. I braced myself for a negative outcome, fully expecting to be sent home with ‘failed’ written all over my face. Stopwatch and clipboard in hand, Melissa recorded my scores. (I wanted to sneak a peek but I didn’t think that would go down well).

“Well,” announced Melissa cheerfully. “We’ll put you in level two since you fall somewhere in the middle” (whatever that meant) and presented me with my very own set of boxing gloves. I raced home - well, not exactly raced ... to break the good news to my family.

Soon it was time for the first session. Boxing gloves in hand, I took tentative steps into the room, to find a dozen or so people whose appearance stated “I’m here because I have Parkinson’s”

Accompanied by lively music Melissa puts us through our paces non-stop for an hour. Her passion for the program and her understanding of what it means to have Parkinson’s, make her the quintessential poster child for Rock Steady Boxing. With her powerful voice, she takes us through an intense excercise routine interspersed with activities that foster social and emotional connectedness She infuses the group with spirit and a sense of belonging, aided by her two wonderful assistants - her husband Allan and a volunteer so help, humour warmth and encouragement are available to us at all times.

One of the huge benefits of this program is the ‘same boat’ syndrome - being in a class with others who have the same condition and face similar struggles. This comfort level allows us to step back and look at the comedic aspects of a Rock Steady Boxing class:

Beginning with a warmup each session, we jog (and I use that word reservedly) ... we jog forward, backwards and side to side. There we are - a class of individuals with balance problems who are not only expected to jog, but to jog backwards! S o f a r n o one has fallen. Mind you, if we did fall we could just slide our bodies onto a floor mat and we’d be ready to do floor exercises, which include push-ups (err ...I’m 72??). All very well and good, but getting up off the floor is a whole different ballgame.

Many people with Parkinson’s tend to speak softly and to mumble - the condition wreaks havoc on speech. Not only is it often difficult for us to make ourselves heard in the outside world, but we even have trouble hearing each other! To strengthen our vocal cords we punch a bag vigorously, all the while screaming at the tops of our limited voices and praying that no one walks in!

We start the boxing part approximately halfway through the hour. You would think that this is the fun part, but in fact the focus of this exercise is brain training not strength training i.e. remembering a sequence of boxing moves such as ‘left hook, left jab, right upper cut, left cross.’ The sequence changes as we move from one punching bag to another. Me? My brain gets scrambled when I try I to grasp the different sequences!

One of the challenges I have encountered in the program is the difficulty of trying to relieve an itch while wearing boxing gloves! To make matters worse, not being able to scratch intensifies the need and distracts me - no wonder my brain gets scrambled!

Rock Steady Boxing is no walk in the park. It’s hard work, but it’s also exhilarating. What makes it so worthwhile is the knowledge that we are doing something to help ourselves ... what makes it so enjoyable is the camaraderie that exists between us ... and what makes it so special is the leadership of our incredible instructor and volunteers.

At last Parkinson’s is getting the media attention it deserves, and programs are popping up everywhere. There is Boxing with Parkinson’s, Cycling with Parkinson’s, Dancing with Parkinson’s and Singing with Parkinson’s! What’s next? Dating with Parkinson’s? As a friend said, perhaps there will come a time when people will pretend to have Parkinson’s just to get into our programs!

Recently one of our sessions was videotaped and I showed it to my family. The 15 year-old watched it with some amusement - and his comment? “Not bad for your age Gran - no offence.”

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Published in Summer 2019 editiion of Rock Steady Boxing's "In Yoor Corner" magazine