In 2015, Betsy Birkey walked into her first Rock Steady Boxing class at the Kokomo Family YMCA. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2009, and was already doing yoga to help combat some of effects of the disease.
“I wanted to do anything that I possibly could do to make my life better, not only for me, but for my husband and my family,” she said. “I wanted to be as mobile for as long as I could.”
Nearly three years later, Birkey is still active in Rock Steady, donning her pink boxing gloves and punching the bag alongside her classmates.
“It’s helped my perseverance in keeping up with the exercise program because at home, I tend to slack off,” she said, although admitting she stays busy with gardening.
Since 2015, the Rock Steady Boxing program has grown from a handful of people to around 25 to 30 participants. There are two sessions, one at 10 a.m. and the other at 1 p.m., every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Functional Fitness room at the Y.
When participants first join the program, they take a test that measures their agility, flexibility, fine motor skills and ability to sit and stand, said Hannah Treadway, Rock Steady Boxing coach and personal trainer at the Kokomo YMCA. Participants are then retested every six months, to see what skills have improved and what they still need to work on.
Parkinson’s disease, which affects about one million people in the United States, is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes tremors, rigidity and slowness of movement, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
The Kokomo YMCA started implementing the Rock Steady Boxing program in late 2015, after learning more about the class held in Indianapolis. Participants do not simply stand and hit a bag for an hour. While boxing is a portion of the class, participants also work on strength and circuit training in addition to stretching exercises.
“It’s the whole idea behind force-intense exercise — it’s going beyond those perceived limits that you think that you can go,” Treadway said. “Rock Steady works on those areas that Parkinson’s takes away, like balance, agility and coordination.”
On Wednesday, the class threw hooks, uppercuts, jabs and power hits, before completing a circuit that included jump squats, push-ups, band pull downs and work with a medicine ball.
Most, however, don’t just come for the exercise. They come for the comradery.
“This has been a real lift for everybody — the Y is a wonderful place,” said Charlie Myers, who started participating in the Rock Steady program this year. “It’s just the people here. Everyone is friendly and upbeat, and nobody complains.”
Birkey shared a similar sentiment.
“I love the encouragement and I love to encourage others too,” Birkey said. “It’s just become very much a part of me.”
Today, the Kokomo YMCA Rock Steady Boxing program will host a presentation beginning at 9 a.m., followed by a class demonstration at 9:45 a.m. in honor of Parkinson’s Awareness Month. The event is free to all YMCA members and will teach people about the disease, how the program helps patients and will offer the chance to participate in a free Rock Steady Boxing class.
For more information about Rock Steady Boxing, call the Kokomo YMCA at 765-457-4447.
http://www.kokomotribune.com/news/local_news/fighting-back-rock-steady-boxers-to-showcase-skills-while-raising/article_4d3a9544-4a38-11e8-bbaa-13d03c11bb46.html
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar