Ogden — Tom Nehring loves to put on boxing gloves.
“This is medicine for me,” he said as he warmed up.
A few years ago, the 65-year-old man was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
“At first, I started having really bad tremors and my sense of smell got worse,” Nehring says. “Another symptom is something called REM sleep behavior disorder.”
His doctor recommended he try Rock Steady boxing classes to help ease his symptoms.
“I was one of the first people to take this class,” Nehring said.
He hasn't stopped boxing since.
“A lot of people look at me and say, 'You don't have Parkinson's. You're not a typical Parkinson's patient,' and the reason is because in this class you get to move,” Nehring said.
Tom Nehring practices punches against a punching bag with other boxers. (KSL TV)
According to Camille Koga, a certified coach at Rock Steady Boxing, movement and exercise play a big role in easing the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
“Parkinson's is a neurological disease in which the brain can't produce dopamine normally, which causes both motor and non-motor symptoms,” Koga says. “You move slower and your movements become smaller. In boxing, you have to open up your body, move bigger and be quicker.”
Rock Steady Boxing coach Camille Koga gives boxers instructions on the exercises they should practice. (KSL TV)
Koga said boxing is an intense sport that not only exercises the body but also helps improve balance and coordination. He reassessed participants in his classes every six months, and most have improved.
“This shows the result we were hoping for: slowing the progression of Parkinson's disease,” Koga said.
It's an uphill battle for the nearly 1 million people in the United States who have Parkinson's, but Nehring isn't alone in it.
“We've become a social club. If you have a good support group, it's not as hard as trying to do it alone,” he said.
If you think these classes could help you or someone else battling Parkinson's, Rock Steady Boxing classes are held twice a week at McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden.
