- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor
Participants with Parkinson's, from the newly diagnosed to those who have been living with the disease for decades, are strapping on the boxing gloves at the Family Y to fight the disease.
Janneke Baan, a slim, gentle retired teacher, would be on my list of "people I would least expect to see punching someone". But here she was in the gym at the Y, gloves up and a big grin on her face, giving coach Trevor the old one-two.
Led by experienced boxing coaches and trainers, the program involves exercises that address both motor and non-motor 
symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Participants coming into the program may be experiencing rigidity, slow movement, stiffness, weakness and soft speech. This program addresses these symptoms with drills for optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and overall strength. Non-motor symptoms such as depression, anxiety, apathy and fatigue are addressed as well.
Janneke says the hour and a half session is a real work-out, but it never gets boring because the activities change up - including warm ups, one-on-one sparring and work on the heavy bag.
Clearly the dozen or so participants, Y staff and volunteers were all having fun. “We are excited to be offering classes that help people fight back against Parkinson’s,” said Lisa Nixon, Coordinator of Programs and Services. “Without the support of the Community Foundation Grey Bruce, we could not have brought this program to the region.”
Rock Steady classes, originally developed in 2006 by former Marion County (Indiana) Prosecutor, Scott C. Newman who is living with Parkinson’s, are offered all over the continent. Research is showing the program's effectiveness with people of all stages of Parkinson’s disease, including men and women ranging in age from under 30 to over 90.
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disorder resulting from the loss of dopamine in a part of the brain called substantia nigra. It is estimated that 100,000 Canadians are affected by Parkinson’s; and that everyday another 25 Canadians are newly diagnosed. While the average age of onset is between 50 and 60 years of age, it is not unusual to see people under 40 being diagnosed. Medication can lessen the symptoms, but currently there is no cure.
