David Lockwood who co-founded the program 20 years ago.
Program: Rock Steady Boxing: Non-Contact Parkinson Support Program
Gordon Brown introduced our featured speaker Lita Button who owns two fitness businesses, a
boxing promotions company, has a BScN, a couple of fitness certificates and many records of
amateur fights and some professional fights. Her passion is the Rock Steady Boxing club in
(Extracted from the home page of Rock Steady Boxing Toronto)
“Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative movement disorder which can cause deterioration of
motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function. Parkinson Canada estimates there are more
than 100,000 Canadians who have Parkinson's Disease and that number continues to grow
“Rock Steady Boxing is the first boxing program in Canada dedicated to the fight against
“In our sessions, exercises are largely adapted from boxing drills. Parkinson's boxers condition
for optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and
overall strength to defend against and overcome opponents. At RSB, Parkinson’s 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.
“Since the early 1980s, various studies have 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 and actually
slow disease progression.
“Academic institutions (such as University of Indianapolis and Butler University) are reporting
and documenting the improved quality of life among our boxers, and our boxers heartily agree!
Discovery of a cure might be many years away, but there is increasing evidence that improvement
is being made by those participating in the Rock Steady Boxing program. This improvement
is both cognitive and physical, and occurs for people at various stages of Parkinson's.”
A link to Lita’s oral presentation is attached :
