April is national Parkinson’s Awareness Month, established by the Parkinson’s Foundation to make life better for people with the disease by increasing community awareness of Parkinson’s and working to improve care and advance research toward a cure. According to a 2022 report by the Foundation, each year nearly 90,000 Americans are newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Powell Wellness Center offers two support programs for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
Support Group Meeting
The PD support group meets at PWC on the second Wednesday of each month at 12:15 pm. There is no fee to join the program, which features discussion and speakers.
To learn more about the PD Support Group, email Virginia Stanley at vawstanley@gmail.com.
Rock Steady Boxing
The Rock Steady Boxing exercise program for individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) has been going strong at PWC since its 2021 launch. This unique program, created and established as a non profit in 2006, improves the ability of people with PD to live independent lives and has spread throughout the US through affiliates such as PWC.
Why boxing? Studies suggest that intense exercise classes such as boxing can be neuro-protective and actually work to delay the progression of symptoms. In 2014, the Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health implemented a RSB program, noting that “in a study of RSB, participants who complete 12 weeks of training had measurable improvements in gait, balance and quality of life.”
PWC exercise specialist and personal trainer Bobby Zajkowski is RSB-certified to lead PWC’s program. In addition to his experience at PWC and familiarity with medical fitness programming, as a basketball coach for many years, Bobby brings valuable experience with training and motivation to this new role.
What’s a workout like? With a focus on supporting the functions of daily life, the RSB workout targets hand-eye coordination, speed of movement, flexibility, core strength, agility, mental focus, mood and stress reduction. Workout segments may include bag work, drills, core work, calisthenics and circuit weight training. No boxing experience is necessary and there is no participant-to-participant contact.
RSB workouts accommodate all ages as well as different degrees of PD symptoms and fitness levels. Classes are designed to protect against injury. Participants in RSB find that taking a swing at PD in their group workout creates a community filled with camaraderie, sharing challenges and celebrating victories.
PWC offers a class in the group exercise room on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:00-2:30 pm. Prior to registering for RSB, participants will need their doctor’s referral. They will also need an evaluation with Bobby or Whitney prior to program participation.
Monthly pricing (2 classes/week): $50 for members and $100 for non-members (includes access to the facility).
Inquiries about the open house, RSB or the support group may be directed to RSB coach Bobby Zajkowski, bzajkowski@culpeperwellness.org. PWC, a medically integrated wellness center certified by the Medical Fitness Association, is located at 1005 Golf Drive in Culpeper.