Source: Central Alberta Online
A boxing program in central Alberta is helping local patients in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.
The Parkinson’s Class has been running out of The Shadow Box in Lacombe since 2019. The program started in Red Deer about nine years ago and has now expanded into Lacombe.
The exercise program is based on safe, non-contact modified boxing movements for patients battling Parkinson’s disease or other neurological disorders.
“We give Parkinson’s people basically strength training, core training, balance training, confidence, stride training, vocal training, how to fall properly,” explained coach Doug Rowe. “There’s an amazing amount of different things that we do.”
There are currently 14 people enrolled in the Lacombe class. A second program will need to be started once total enrollment reaches 18.
According to the Parkinson Association of Alberta, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder which mainly affects parts of the brain controlling movement. Cells in the brain produce an important chemical called dopamine, when a person moves, dopamine is involved in producing movements that are smooth and coordinated. Many people have symptoms between the ages of 50 and 60 years, but some have symptoms at a much younger age.
“We’ve had just amazing benefits from the program,” added Rowe. “Parkinson’s fighters have something called the Parkinson’s mask. To put it into layman’s terms, it’s the best poker face you’ve ever seen in your life. They don’t show any emotion because they’re not getting enough dopamine in the brain. It doesn’t allow them to show emotions the way they’d like to…We saw within six weeks that that Parkinson’s mask dropped. People were smiling, they were laughing, it just changed that completely. Balance-wise, when people started with us, they could balance on one foot for like three seconds now they can balance for up to a minute on one foot.”
All of the participants are 60 years of age or older, with the most advanced being 85.
Rowe notes the boxers work a lot on fast twitch muscles, which are used very rarely in everyday life. While there is no contact among the boxers, the trainers aim to trigger the fight or flight mechanism through various drills using foam noodles and other props. The goal is to help produce dopamine in the brain.
There are four main motor symptoms that a doctor will look for in making a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The symptoms include tremors, slow movement, rigidity, and postural instability. There are also several non-motor symptoms that encompass a wide range of health concerns.
Larry Lentz of Ponoka has been taking part in the Parkinson’s Class for six years. He had never boxed before joining up. There is currently a group of four travelling in from Ponoka to attend the program. Lentz mentioned that he was going to Red Deer before the Lacombe program opened up.
“It gets your muscles and your brain working,” he said. “It’s quite a social thing too.”
Lentz noted that the program has also been helping with his memory.
The Parkinson’s Class runs every Tuesday and Thursday at The Shadow Box in Lacombe from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
