Fitness instructors at Sagewood, a life plan community in North Phoenix, recently created a fitness program designed for those living with Parkinson’s Disease.

The new group fitness class uses boxing drills to help residents regain mobility, strengthen muscles, increase agility, and support coordination, a press release explains.

The class, titled Functional Fitness, uses exercise that can be translated to daily activity. Each move mastered in the gym will help residents live a more independent life. The 30-minute program has three stations to focus on different aspects of boxing and functionality. Residents work up a sweat through shadow boxing, footwork, speed bag and heavy bag workouts, slip and duck drills, and so much more.

Some symptoms of Parkinson’s includes the shrinking of movements and becoming soft-spoken; Function Fitness targets these symptoms without singling out residents or making them feel isolated. By practicing the large, exaggerated motions in boxing, Sagewood residents are now retraining their body to beat these symptoms in their daily lives.

“I enjoy the boxing exercises in Functional Fitness much more than my standard Parkinson’s exercises,” Bob Fitting, Sagewood resident and Parkinson’s Disease patient, stated. “My symptoms are always lessened the next day after completing a class.”

Boxing is also a very vocal sport and the instructors at Sagewood encourage participants to make as much noise as they can. From battle cries to grunts, residents are now able to get as loud as they can without feeling silly.

By training the vocal cords and practicing loud sounds, Parkinson’s residents are able to work through the soft-spoken symptoms.

“Functional Fitness is unique in the fact it combines residents with and without Parkinson’s so no individual feels isolated,” stated Joshua Bredimus, trained instructor through National Institute for Fitness and Sport and Sagewood’s Fitness Specialist.

Sagewood is located at 4555 E. Mayo Blvd., in Phoenix.

Visit sagewoodlcs.com.

(Photo courtesy of Sagewood Senior Living)