Jonah Engler lives and works in New York City. Outside of his entrepreneurial endeavors in New York, Jonah Engler Silberman enjoys boxing as both cardiovascular exercise and a way to relieve stress. He has attended 12 pay-per-view prizefights.
Researchers have discovered that people suffering from Parkinson’s disease can enhance their quality of life by engaging in aggressive activities like boxing. A chronic and progressive illness of the nervous system, Parkinson’s affects regulation of the body’s movement and mobility.
The drills that patients with Parkinson’s go through require them to rely on their agility, balance, and mobility. Since the disease affects each of these, patients who attend boxing classes can work on enhancing them by memorizing and applying complex sequences during their sessions.
Since boxing requires concentration and physical exertion, it helps the brain send signals to the body faster by creating more circuits through which to pass. Patients with Parkinson’s can take advantage of one of the boxing classes for those who have been diagnosed or are in the advanced stages of the disease.
Attending these classes has been correlated with improvement in the lives of those with the disease. In addition to delaying the progression of symptoms, the classes provide them with an opportunity to socialize with those who are similarly affected.
Participants are trained based on in the stage of their disease. Sessions commence with warm-ups on chairs. Patients go through the same exercises as regular trainees, but are guided by physical therapists and trainers.
The only difference between other boxers and those with Parkinson’s is that the latter require guide belts and constant supervision due to the increased risk of falls. Other than that, the trainers push them just as hard as those without the disease.
