A new program has people with Parkinson’s disease training in boxing to help improve their symptoms and quality of life.

Rod Thomas had always been an active person, enjoying golf, skiing and many other activities. But that all changed about three years ago when he started showing symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as Parkinson’s disease.

When his wife heard about a pilot program to get Parkinson’s sufferers boxing, they jumped at the opportunity.

“I have Parkinson’s plus everything but the shakes, so I don’t know what it’s doing for me, but I feel better when I finish,” said Rod.

“It allows him to be active in a controlled situation and it makes him feel happy, I think it empowers him and also the comradery of being with 10 other people, there’s something to be said for that, it’s great,” said Marilyn Murray, Rod’s wife.

Research shows that vigorous, regular exercise acts as medications for people with Parkinson’s, and can even reverse symptoms.

“Even if it’s just helping them with their posture and core stability, so if that helps decrease falls, helps them with their breathing, or their mood, people have been sleeping better, so we’re really happy,” said Tanya Good, Parkinson Alberta.

The program is being run out of the Grizzly Cage gym in Calgary and is already having promising results for participants.

“To be able to feel confident with regard to balance particularly, to be able to transfer some of the learning out of here into their day to day life because there are a lot of things that just happen within the household or out driving and we need to be able to give them some tools,” said Darcy Irwin, Grizzly Cage Sports School.

Rod Thomas is helping the school develop the program, which will be expanded in the future, something Rod’s wife is happy to see.

“He loves to go, and he wants to go and I think it’s great for the synapsis and I think it’s really, he likes it, I think it’s going to help him,” she said.

More than 10,000 people in Alberta have Parkinson’s. You can find out more about the condition at the Parkinson Alberta website.