BLOG


Fighting with Another Punch

When the topic of boxing is brought up at the dinner table, most individuals would think of Muhammed Ali or Floyd Mayweather.  In the health care field, boxing is correlated with Parkinson’s disease.  Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that progressively impairs motor function due to loss of brain cells that produce a chemical messenger in the brain called dopamine.  Approximately 60,000 individuals a year are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health.  The disease is characterized by tremors, a shuffling walk, loss of balance, slowed movements, a softened voice, and cognitive changes along with at times depression and anxiety. Individuals have a hard time maneuvering around obstacles, changing directions or even walking through doorways.  There is not a cure for Parkinson’s but vigorous exercise may have a protective effect on the brain and slow the progression. 

Could boxing help?

In boxing, exercises were adapted to emphasize agility, speed, endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and strength.  These are all characteristics that individuals with Parkinson’s lose as the disease progresses.   

Prior to joining a boxing program, the trainer assesses the individual’s mobility, balance, and gait speed.  This allows the individual to see how boxing has improved their mobility at the end of their training duration.  Every workout is customized to the individual.  Trainers take many things into consideration when designing a program, including if the individual is a low or high fall risk or is currently falling and what deficits they need to overcome.  Each session should challenge the individual with strengthening, aerobic, and balance exercises.  The program is also tailored to the stage of the disease the person is currently at. 

What are exercises like?

Hitting heavy bags produce power and strength.  Punching speed bags improves hand eye coordination and posture.  Foot work drills (stepping in different directions) improve balance and coordination. Boxing is tied to the ability to control center of gravity to assisting in decreasing risk of falling.  To improved cognition, a trainer will hold focus mitts and call out numbers for individuals to hit.  Individuals shout out exercises or numbers to improve voice production or the trainer shouts out numbers that correlate to a specific punch for the boxer to perform.    Such as trainer calls out “1” and the individuals performs a “Jab”, “2” and the individual performs a “Cross”, and so forth.

Anyone with Parkinson’s disease feels like they are fighting on a daily basis or even an hourly basis to keep their mobility and independence.  One cannot say that boxing eliminates Parkinson’s however it does help treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s.  In fact, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation, research shows that getting in at least two and a half hours of exercise per week is enough to slow the decline of functional mobility.

Let’s fight together against Parkinson’s!

Allison Fender