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rock steady
rock steady
The Gait Center’s connection to Rock Steady Boxing Richmond goes beyond sharing a building . . . it was actually started, and is owned and operated by one of our therapists, Lindsay Nexsen PT DPT, out of her deep compassion to find additional ways to support & help patients with Parkinson’s disease beyond traditional physical therapy appointments.
Rock Steady Boxing Richmond, is a gym designed specifically for people with Parkinson's disease. It has been proven that exercise is just as effective as medication in combating the symptoms of the disease; exercise helps to enhance quality of life, build power, and improve strength, flexibility, and speed. Rock Steady offers group exercise classes that are specifically designed to address the needs of this population. Stretching is designed to be completed from a chair or the floor and targets rotational muscles to improve walking ability as well as postural muscles to improve ability to sit and stand tall. The boxing component of class includes non-contact work on the heavy bags and the speed bags - exercises focused on moving your body in all planes of motion while working on speed, power, and coordination. The classes also incorporate balance, agility, strengthening, and focus on voice activation.
Classes are also infused with fun and fighters often say they enjoy the light heartedness of the coaches and their fellow fighters. It is an hour and fifteen minutes in which they can forget about the outside world and focus on improving themselves and encouraging those around them. The music is fun - you may see some dancing taking place - and the exercises are always different to keep your interest.
Rock Steady also offers a community of other people fighting the same battle. Most fighters say that the friendships they have made are just as life changing as the exercises they complete. It is essential to have a support network when faced with a neurological disease and Rock Steady provides a built in community of people to ask questions of, swap stories, and lean on others for advice.
Members of the Rock Steady Boxing program prove every day that anyone, at any level of Parkinson's disease, can actually lessen their symptoms and lead a healthier and happier life.
If you know anyone fighting the fight against Parkinson's, have them contact Rock Steady Boxing at 804-835-6935 or richmond@rsbaffiliate.com. The therapists at The Gait Center can also provide you with brochures and point you in the right direction to get more information. Classes are also infused with fun and fighters often say they enjoy the light heartedness of the coaches and their fellow fighters. It is an hour and fifteen minutes in which they can forget about the outside world and focus on improving themselves and encouraging those around them. The music is fun - you may see some dancing taking place - and the exercises are always different to keep your interest.
