TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - A group of locals are working up a sweat to fight back against Parkinson's disease with a special boxing class.
It looks like a boxing class and acts like a boxing class, yet it's anything but a boxing class. The goal in this class is to knock out Parkinson's disease.
"A lot of yelling and using your voice and cheering for each other," said Jim Wells, a Sweat Therapy Fitness student. "I love it."
These aren't your ordinary boxing students. Despite having Parkinson's disease this group packs quite the punch.
"The benefits are tremendous," said Wells. "Not only physically, and coping with the disease, but emotionally."
Until recently, treatment for Parkinson's disease has been passive. However, studies show, high energy exercise helps slow symptoms.
People with PD typically experience hand tremors and difficulty balancing. In the class, students practice and improve core strength, agility, walking, balance, and even speaking.
Wells is one of about 40 diagnosed people who say the weekly boxing workouts help them with their daily activities.
"We get down on the floor, we practice falling," said Kim Bibeau, the founder of Sweat Therapy Fitness. "We do things that they don't want to do necessarily, but you know, they need to do it because they need to be prepared for when they fall, or when they're needing to step up on that curb, or get in and out if that car."
Bibeau says the success stories they've heard since they started the program three years ago are inspiring.
"It's very satisfying to see people fight back against a terrible disease and to see real progress being made," said Bibeau.
Sweat Therapy Fitness also offers special classes for people with chronic illnesses. For more information, visit their website at: https://www.sweattherapyfitness.com/
