Rock Steady Boxing is a nonprofit organization with affiliates around the globe. Each affiliate program runs their classes differently, but all work towards the same goal of helping Parkinson's patients fight back against their symptoms through boxing. Kimberly Berg's Rebel Fit Club consists of 5 Rock Steady Boxing affiliate programs in the Portland area. Rock Steady Boxing classes are split into two levels based on the skill level of the participants. Classes of levels 1-2 are for Parkinson's patients with lower fall risk and more independence, and classes of levels 3-5 are seated for Parkinson's patients with greater fall risk. This research focuses on participants in the 1-2 level classes.
Obstacle course station for a Rock Steady Boxing class.
What happens in each class?
Classes are available to Parkinson's patients in two versions, virtual or in-person. This research consists of participants that attend in-person classes. Classes are an hour long and begin with a warm-up then transition to 15 3-minute stations. Fighters pair up and move through the stations together, creating a sense of camaraderie and helping to connect patients to others in the community. Stations change often to work different muscles and keep things interesting, but generally fall into 3 main categories: strength training, balance/agility, and boxing skills. This week some notable stations included an obstacle course, slipping under a rope before executing a jab-cross combo, and jump rope/hula-hoop. Many fighters have a friendly competition to see who can jump rope the most times in a row or hula-hoop for the longest time.
What happens next?
Participants will continue to attend their Rock Steady Boxing classes as normal. Exercises performed during the class will be noted to determine if the type of exercise is significant. Check back next week for updates on the study's progress. More information on Rock Steady Boxing can be found here: https://rebelfitclub.com/
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