Rock Steady Boxing, designed for people with Parkinson's, is coming to Milford
Milford. Classes at Jen Murphy Fitness start Sept. 3. A free informational seminar will be held at the studio on Aug. 27.
Milford /
| 21 Aug 2019 | 04:12
Jen Murphy Fitness in Milford is adding Rock Steady Boxing to its schedule.
This boxing-based fitness regimen is designed for people with Parkinson's disease. The exercises are rigorous and adapted from boxing drills, and are intended to extend the participant's capabilities. While boxers condition for optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and overall strength to overcome opponents, in Rock Steady Boxing, Parkinson’s disease is the opponent.
Classes will run Tuesdays and Fridays, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., and will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Rock Steady Boxing memberships are $60 per month and include all other Jen Murphy Fitness classes.
A free informational seminar will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at Jen Murphy Fitness, located at 113 West Harford Street. It will include a review of the regimen, with participants learning how to wrap their hands and try on boxing gloves. It will also be an opportunity to ask questions. Families and caregivers are encouraged to attend. Register by calling 570-807-7923
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, incurable, neurodegenerative movement disorder which causes deterioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function. The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation estimates there are more than 1.5 million people in the United States suffering from Parkinson’s disease, and more than 60,000 people are diagnosed each year. It is estimated that the number of people with Parkinson’s disease will double by 2040.
About Rock Steady's founder
At age 39, Marion County Indiana Prosecutor Scott Newman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He experienced a rapid progression of the symptoms associated with young onset PD which impaired his ability to do his job. A friend, who was also an attorney and a former Golden Glove boxer, offered to teach him to box as a way to keep him moving and combat his symptoms. Scott said, “What have I got to lose?” They hung up a heavy bag in Scott’s basement and began boxing training. Within a few months, Scott began to see improvement and a reduction of many of his symptoms. Other people with PD began to notice Scott’s improvement and wanted to do what he was doing. Scott founded Rock Steady Boxing to offer classes to people with PD and hired professional boxer, Kristy Rose Follmar, to teach and design the classes. In Oct. 2006, the first class was held for six boxers.
Now, 13 years later, each month more than 25,000 people participate in boxing-inspired exercises in Rock Steady programs around the world. The exercises are adapted from boxing drills and vary depending upon the individual’s fitness and progression of symptoms.