懂色帝

On December 3, dozens of boxers gathered at NYIT de Seversky Mansion鈥檚 Wellness Gym, where they wrapped their hands, slipped on boxing gloves, and worked up a sweat. But this was not your typical boxing event. It was a 12-hour holiday 鈥渂oxathon,鈥� and the athletes were patients with Parkinson鈥檚 disease.

Hosted by the , the event was conceived by Adena Leder (D.O. 鈥�99), director of 懂色帝鈥檚 Parkinson鈥檚 program and associate professor at the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM). Leder and other members of the Center鈥檚 Rock Steady Boxing team organized the event to raise awareness for Parkinson鈥檚 and the importance of exercise in disease treatment. It also served to bring members of the Rock Steady Boxing community together during the holidays, a time when many patients may experience loneliness and isolation.

鈥淭he benefits of Rock Steady Boxing are two-fold,鈥� says Leder, a board-certified neurologist and movement disorders specialist. 鈥淓xercise is the only thing that slows down the progression of this neurodegenerative disease, so the program is very important from a clinical perspective. In addition, classes foster socialization and offer a supportive community that empowers participants with a sense of shared purpose.鈥�  

Approximately one million people in the United States have Parkinson鈥檚 disease, with about 90,000 new cases diagnosed each year. While the condition has no cure, programs like Rock Steady Boxing deliver an opportunity to fight back.

鈥淏eing faced with challenging symptoms and limitations is something individuals with Parkinson鈥檚 experience throughout their treatment, but when they come to class, we help them realize just how much they can accomplish,鈥� says Leder. 鈥淭hey walk through the door, and they鈥檙e no longer Parkinson鈥檚 patients鈥攖hey鈥檙e boxers.鈥�

Classes also provide students from NYITCOM and the School of Health Professions with opportunities to gain exposure to the Parkinson鈥檚 community and how exercise plays an essential role in managing the condition. Among the many students who participated in the boxathon was second-year NYITCOM student Tim Forster.

鈥淎s first- and second-year medical students, we can often get caught up in our lectures and studying for our exams every day, but this program has been a great way to decompress while giving back to our local community,鈥� says Forster. 鈥淓very boxer I鈥檝e met loves the program, and it鈥檚 rewarding to catch up with them every week. It鈥檚 also helped reinforce the importance of engaging in physical activity as a form of medicine. The boxathon was a testament to the commitment of the boxers, faculty, and students, filling classes every hour for 12 hours straight.鈥�

Rock Steady Boxing is a non-profit, non-contact boxing-inspired fitness program founded in 2006. Since then, the program has become an international network of healthcare and fitness professionals offering Rock Steady Boxing programs in more than 800 affiliate locations, including 懂色帝鈥檚 program, in every state and 14 countries worldwide.

The program was also featured on (channel 11 news) and other news outlets.