KINSTON, N.C. (WITN) – Parkinson’s disease patients in eastern Carolina are now using the fundamentals of boxing to help manage their symptoms, thanks to a new class at UNC Health Lenoir’s Minges Wellness Center.
Rock Steady Boxing, a non-contact fitness program built around boxing techniques, is now being offered at the Kinston facility — one of a select few Rock Steady Boxing certified locations in eastern Carolina.
Chet Harrison is among the boxers in the Tuesday class. He said the program has made a measurable difference in his daily life.
“I do better with Rock Steady Boxing — it keeps me exercising, it keeps me moving, and it keeps me stretching my joints and muscles,” Harrison said.
Harrison also said the group dynamic is a key part of the experience.
“I like the camaraderie that we get at Rock Steady Boxing. It’s not just boxing, it’s a group of us guys that have Parkinson’s, and we’re dealing with it the best we can,” he said.
Rock Steady Boxing Instructor and Exercise Specialist Alyssa Dunn said the physical demands of boxing directly address symptoms common in Parkinson’s patients.
“With Parkinson’s disease, several people develop a shoulder slouch — so some muscles in your shoulder become overactive, and some become underactive. So, pushing your chest while you’re punching, keeping a defensive position with your hands, is helping you keep those muscles intact that really don’t get the work that they need,” Dunn said.
Dunn said the sport’s broad physical requirements made it the right fit for the wellness center’s programming. Originally, Minges Wellness Center had a ‘Punching through Parkinson’s class. This was separate from the Rock Steady Boxing organization and funding.
Harrison was also a part of that class and said he notices a big difference when he is boxing and when he isn’t.
Dunn became certified to hold the Rock Steady Boxing classes, and now, this is their second week of having class.
“Boxing is the most physically demanding sport that there is. There are multiple different studies — it works on upper body strength, gait mobility, picking up your feet, and correcting your incorrect posture. It works on almost everything physically affected by Parkinson’s,” Dunn said.
The class incorporates footwork and shadowboxing, among other drills.
Harrison used to do the Rock Steady Boxing classes in Greenville and said they closed during COVID. Greenville was already a drive for Harrison, who says he is glad to be closer now.
In talking about his experiences in Greenville, he fondly remembered the group closing each session with a shared motto:
“We would put our hands out and go ‘Rock steady, fight back!’ And that’s what we’re doing — we’re fighting back,” he said.
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