Swinging back at Parkinson’s Disease symptoms
New program at Goodlife Fitness aims to help those battling neurodegenerative disorder
Pam Pilkington will try anything to alleviate her Parkinson’s disease symptoms – including boxing.
Pilkington was one of eight people Thursday taking swings as part of a new boxing program for people with Parkinson’s. The first session took place at Goodlife Fitness on Chemong Rd.
Pilkington was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 11 years ago and has tried everything possible to reduce her symptoms.
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects body movement. It can cause slowness of movement, rigidity, tremors and a loss of balance and co-ordination. Half of those who have the disease also suffer from depression, according to Parkinson Canada.
To reduce symptoms, Pilkington has been to educational workshops, seen a dietician, exercises regularly, and bought a therapeutic bike to help.
So, when she heard about a boxing class designed for people with Parkinson’s, she signed right up.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Pilkington said.
The group – all seniors – spent an hour learning punches, hitting bags, and doing drills, for example.
Mark Cleary and Joe Dawson, boxers and Goodlife trainers, lead the program, which runs twice weekly for an hour.
Cleary saw a You Tube video about a Parkinson’s program in the United States and wanted to bring it to Peterborough.
He found a gym in Toronto that teaches the program before sitting in on a class to get a feel for it.
As a trainer, Cleary said he knew he could run the program, but wanted some guidance from a medical professional in the field.
Luckily, Marion Tabanor, a registered nurse who specializes in geriatric mental health, overheard Cleary talking about the program at the gym one day and offered to help.
“I couldn’t have done it without her,” Cleary said.
Tabanor helped design the program and developed the assessments for participants.
As a geriatric nurse, she said she knows exercise is one of the best things people can do for chronic illnesses, especially for mood.
Boxing helps with stability and co-ordination while the endorphins uplift mood.
Tabanor helped at the first session Thursday, saying it was amazing to watch the group enjoy the workout.
“I almost had tears in my eyes,” she said.
Lanny Thomas, a Parkinson Canada Peterborough-Kawartha Lakes chapter board member, helped get the program off the ground, too.
He was diagnosed six years ago.
Thomas works out frequently – yoga, tai chi, cycling – because he said it’s the only scientifically proven method to help alleviate symptoms.
“I’ve taken it upon myself… to do the best I can – this disease is not going to define me, by no means,” Thomas said.
If all goes well with the pilot program, Cleary said he’d like to see it in Goodlife locations across Canada.
Although he’s been a trainer for years, Cleary said the hour he spent with the Parkinson group Thursday felt different than other training sessions, though it was difficult for him to explain why.
“Rewarding would be the key word for it.”