BMoFit- Rock Steady Boxing SRQ

Non-contact boxing inspired classes can delay, reduce, and even reverse the symptoms of Parkinsons Disease.We are learning every day that there are ways in which people with Parkinsons disease can enhance their quality of life and even build strength, flexibility and speed! By exercising with coaches who know the ropes, you can fight your way out of the corner and start to feel and function better.These classes have proven that anyone, at any level of Parkinsons, can actually lessen their symptoms and lead a healthier and happier life.Why Boxing for Parkinsons?Various studies in the 1980s and 1990s supported the notion that rigorous exercise, emphasizing gross motor movement, balance, core strength, and rhythm, could favorably impact range of motion, flexibility, posture, gait, and activities of daily living. More recent studies, most notably at Cleveland Clinic, focus on the concept of intense forced exercise, and have begun to suggest that certain kinds of exercise may be neuro-protective, i.e., actually slowing disease progression. Discovery of a cure may be many years away but there is evidence that progress is made in all stages of the disease by those participating in the Rock Steady Boxing program.The Parkinsons ChallengeParkinsons disease is a degenerative movement disorder which can cause deterioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function. Rock Steady Boxing is the first program in the country dedicated to the fight against Parkinsons. In our program, exercises are largely adapted from boxing drills. Boxers condition for optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and overall strength to defend against and overcome opponents. At Rock Steady Boxing, Parkinsons disease is the opponent. Exercises vary in purpose and form but share one common trait: they are rigorous and intended to extend the perceived capabilities of the participant.Types of Rock Steady Boxing ClassesTraining classes include an exercise program that attacks Parkinsons at its vulnerable neurological points. While focusing on overall fitness, workouts include: focus mitts, heavy bags, speed bags, double-ended bags, water bags, core work, cognitive activities, voice activation and circuit weight training. No boxing experience is necessary and people of all ages are invited to participate. There are four levels of classes offered, depending on the participants level or Parkinsons and overall fitness. All classes at Rock Steady Boxing SRQ are mixed-level at this time.Medical Evidence Supporting Rock Steady BoxingThe value of exercise has been corroborated in several studies, including some at Lakehead University in Ontario and University of Utah in Salt Lake City. According to a Cleveland Clinic study, aerobic fitness can be improved in Parkinsons patients following forced and/or voluntary exercise. Studies are showing that exercise induces brain repair and accompanying behavioral recovery. Some suggest that continuous, intensive training may confer neuro-protection, and subsequently, slow, stop or reverse the progression of Parkinsons or promote neuro-restoration. (References to any studies are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement of Rock Steady Boxing by the researchers.)Because of the promising results seen through Rock Steady Boxing, the organization was selected to be a part of research to document the impact of boxing and rigorous exercise on the progression of Parkinsons. Rock Steady Boxing has also drawn the attention of university researchers who are in the process of quantifying and evaluating the results in people who have continued with Rock Steady Boxing.Can Anyone with Parkinsons Participate?Nearly everyone with Parkinsons disease can participate and receive benefit from Rock Steady Boxing. An intake evaluation process is conducted prior to the first class to determine the boxers ability and evaluate balance risks. Some participants will require a caregiver partner to assist in class. Individuals of all ages are benefiting from the Rock Steady Boxing program.We strongly encourage you to discuss Rock Steady Boxing participation with your physician prior to your first workout.Rock Steady SRQ Class FormatOur typical class has the following format:Warm-up including voice activation. We warm up our bodies and voices together.Glove up while coach Leslie goes through the boxing combos for the day.Go to bags and start punching. We normally stay at each bag for four rounds, consisting of two punching and two body-weight exercise rounds.Take off gloves, get some water and rest a few minutes.Strength workout consisting of gross motor movements, balance, cardio and core work with a fun station or two mixed in!We end class down on the floor with stretching and a short meditation for the last 15 minutes of class.Circle up together for our cheesy cheer and head out the door.Rock Steady Boxing HistoryRock Steady Boxing, the first boxing program of its kind in the country, was founded in 2006 by former Marion County (Indiana) Prosecutor, Scott C. Newman, who is living with Parkinsons. Rock Steady Boxing initially began through the friendship of two men, Scott Newman and Vince Perez, after Scott had been diagnosed with early-onset Parkinsons at the age of 40. Refusing to let his friend go down without a fight, Vince turned to his experience as a Golden Gloves boxer to design a program that attacks Parkinsons at its vulnerable neurological points. His intuitive insight is now proven to have merit through an increasing body of medical research. Realizing that their experience might be replicated for others, Scott and Vince founded Rock Steady Boxing as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. As word of this unique program spread and the demand for the classes increased, Rock Steady Boxing created classes to meet the fitness levels at all stages of Parkinsons from the newly diagnosed to those who had been living with it for decades plus.

BMoFit fitness instructors are inspirational and easy to follow. They encourage you to take charge of your workout, motivating you to push yourself when you can, take a break if needed, and recognizing your effort. They demonstrate all exercises while explaining why and how they benefit your overall fitness. And theyre skilled in combining music with exercise to create physical results and motivational magic.LESLIE LEBLANCOwner/InstructorLeslie has lived in Sarasota for over 40 years. Being active has always been a part of her lifestyle, beginning at a young age with dance, and evolving to a love of physical fitness through weight lifting, boxing and Yoga.Leslie is an avid sports enthusiast, participating in tennis, running, golf and rowing. She became certified as a Fitness Instructor in 2012, receiving a number of specialty certifications through ACE and NASM, including Group Fitness Instructor, Speed, Agility and Quickness Training, Youth Fitness Specialist, Golf Fitness Specialist, Senior Fitness Specialist, Certified Rock Steady Boxing Instructor, PWR! Moves Instructor, and RYT-200 Yoga Certification. Leslie has worked with all ages and fitness levels. She enjoys sharing her love of fitness and well-being with others while coaching and encouraging her clients along their fitness journey.TERESA BAUERInstructorI have been an active participant at BMOFIT for 14 years and a BMOFIT trainer for the past 10 years. I have played sports most of my life and started working out in my early 20s. Like most people, I belonged to a gym and had my workout routine, but BMOFIT was my first experience with group fitness training. At BMOFIT, through the coaching and instruction of correct exercise mechanics, I was able to attain a new level of total body fitness and flexibility that I am thankful to say I still enjoy. As a trainer, my desire is to help others achieve their goals and experience the benefits that come from taking your health and fitness seriously.

We are learning every day that there are ways in which people with Parkinsons disease can enhance their quality of life and even build strength, flexibility and speed! By exercising with coaches who know the ropes, you can fight your way out of the corner and start to feel and function better.These classes have proven that anyone, at any level of Parkinsons, can actually lessen their symptoms and lead a healthier and happier lifeWhy Boxing for Parkinsons?Various studies in the 1980s and 1990s supported the notion that rigorous exercise, emphasizing gross motor movement, balance, core strength, and rhythm, could favorably impact range of motion, flexibility, posture, gait, and activities of daily living. More recent studies, most notably at Cleveland Clinic, focus on the concept of intense forced exercise, and have begun to suggest that certain kinds of exercise may be neuro-protective, i.e., actually slowing disease progression. Discovery of a cure may be many years away but there is evidence that progress is made in all stages of the disease by those participating in the Rock Steady Boxing program.The Parkinsons ChallengeParkinsons disease is a degenerative movement disorder which can cause deterioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function. Rock Steady Boxing is the first program in the country dedicated to the fight against Parkinsons. In our program, exercises are largely adapted from boxing drills. Boxers condition for optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and overall strength to defend against and overcome opponents. At Rock Steady Boxing, Parkinsons disease is the opponent. Exercises vary in purpose and form but share one common trait: they are rigorous and intended to extend the perceived capabilities of the participant.Types of Rock Steady Boxing ClassesTraining classes include an exercise program that attacks Parkinsons at its vulnerable neurological points. While focusing on overall fitness, workouts include: focus mitts, heavy bags, speed bags, double-ended bags, water bags, core work, cognitive activities, voice activation and circuit weight training. No boxing experience is necessary and people of all ages are invited to participate. There are four levels of classes offered, depending on the participants level or Parkinsons and overall fitness. All classes at Rock Steady Boxing SRQ are mixed-level at this time.Medical Evidence Supporting Rock Steady BoxingThe value of exercise has been corroborated in several studies, including some at Lakehead University in Ontario and University of Utah in Salt Lake City. According to a Cleveland Clinic study, aerobic fitness can be improved in Parkinsons patients following forced and/or voluntary exercise. Studies are showing that exercise induces brain repair and accompanying behavioral recovery. Some suggest that continuous, intensive training may confer neuro-protection, and subsequently, slow, stop or reverse the progression of Parkinsons or promote neuro-restoration. (References to any studies are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement of Rock Steady Boxing by the researchers.)Because of the promising results seen through Rock Steady Boxing, the organization was selected to be a part of research to document the impact of boxing and rigorous exercise on the progression of Parkinsons. Rock Steady Boxing has also drawn the attention of university researchers who are in the process of quantifying and evaluating the results in people who have continued with Rock Steady Boxing.Can Anyone with Parkinsons Participate?Nearly everyone with Parkinsons disease can participate and receive benefit from Rock Steady Boxing. An intake evaluation process is conducted prior to the first class to determine the boxers ability and evaluate balance risks. Some participants will require a caregiver partner to assist in class. Individuals of all ages are benefiting from the Rock Steady Boxing program.We strongly encourage you to discuss Rock Steady Boxing participation with your physician prior to your first workout.Rock Steady SRQ Class FormatOur typical class has the following format:Warm-up including voice activation. We warm up our bodies and voices together.Glove up while coach Leslie goes through the boxing combos for the day.Go to bags and start punching. We normally stay at each bag for four rounds, consisting of two punching and two body-weight exercise rounds.Take off gloves, get some water and rest a few minutes.Strength workout consisting of gross motor movements, balance, cardio and core work with a fun station or two mixed in!We end class down on the floor with stretching and a short meditation for the last 15 minutes of class.Circle up together for our cheesy cheer and head out the door.Rock Steady Boxing HistoryRock Steady Boxing, the first boxing program of its kind in the country, was founded in 2006 by former Marion County (Indiana) Prosecutor, Scott C. Newman, who is living with Parkinsons. Rock Steady Boxing initially began through the friendship of two men, Scott Newman and Vince Perez, after Scott had been diagnosed with early-onset Parkinsons at the age of 40. Refusing to let his friend go down without a fight, Vince turned to his experience as a Golden Gloves boxer to design a program that attacks Parkinsons at its vulnerable neurological points. His intuitive insight is now proven to have merit through an increasing body of medical research. Realizing that their experience might be replicated for others, Scott and Vince founded Rock Steady Boxing as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. As word of this unique program spread and the demand for the classes increased, Rock Steady Boxing created classes to meet the fitness levels at all stages of Parkinsons from the newly diagnosed to those who had been living with it for decades plus.