Local Gym Fighting Parkinson's Disease Through Boxing

About 20 percent of people begin to experience some signs of Parkinson’s disease before the age of fifty, and the best way to battle it is with a fight.

Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, a group of boxers come to Roughhouse boxing and fitness in Edmond. Not to take a swing at each other, their punches are aimed at Parkinson’s disease.

“We do know that exercise is good for Parkinson’s, but we think that boxing is the best exercise,” said gym owner Stephanie Tolson.

Tolson is a former boxer, and when she opened the gym nine years ago, her plan was to train boxers.

“Then, one day one of my members came up to me and she said ‘Stephanie, my dad has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and I heard the boxing helps, can you help him,’” said Tolson.

Classes started in 2019 and have been going strong ever since.

“I get physical exercise, emotional exercise, and I think I get exercise for the soul too,” said boxer Julie Ahrens.

In studying the disease Tolson realized it affects both movement as well as speech, so she enlisted the help of Tracey Pearl, a speech pathologist to facilitate what they call, speak out group.

“I hold the weekly speak out group here and then they go directly into boxing after that, and so it’s been a great partnership,” said Pearl.

Jon Cook participates in the boxing classes and also leads the Edmond Parkinson’s support group.

“A place, a core of people who share the issues surrounding Parkinson’s disease, the challenges and the struggles,” said Cook.

Each class starts with a warm up and progresses to punching out the disease at the individual’s pace.

“No pressure for us because we all have the disease, and we all know that we need to stay moving,” said Ahrens.

“My neurologist told me when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s she said, ‘you know, if you don’t work at staying ahead of it, it will roll slick over you,’” said Cook.

Together they stand, fighting this disease.

“They know that when they come here, that they are going to have a room full of people that can relate to them, talk to them, help them through it,” said Tolson.

Because the disease affects everyone differently, the participants say the community support that they get from the classes is key to battling the disease.  

Roughhouse Boxing and Fitness offers all levels of boxing and fitness classes, they are located at 115 West 15th Street, Suite D in Edmond. For more information visit their Facebook page @Roughhouse Boxing and Fitness