Boxers Fight Back Against Parkinson’s Disease

On December 3, dozens of boxers gathered at NYIT de Seversky Mansion’s 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 “boxathon,” and the athletes were patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Hosted by the Adele Smithers Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Center, the event was conceived by Adena Leder (D.O. ’99), director of New York Tech’s Parkinson’s program and associate professor at the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM). Leder and other members of the Center’s Rock Steady Boxing team organized the event to raise awareness for Parkinson’s 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.

“The benefits of Rock Steady Boxing are two-fold,” says Leder, a board-certified neurologist and movement disorders specialist. “Exercise 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.”  

Approximately one million people in the United States have Parkinson’s 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.

“Being faced with challenging symptoms and limitations is something individuals with Parkinson’s experience throughout their treatment, but when they come to class, we help them realize just how much they can accomplish,” says Leder. “They walk through the door, and they’re no longer Parkinson’s patients—they’re boxers.”

Classes also provide students from NYITCOM and the School of Health Professions with opportunities to gain exposure to the Parkinson’s 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.

“As 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,” says Forster. “Every boxer I’ve met loves the program, and it’s rewarding to catch up with them every week. It’s 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.”

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 New York Tech’s program, in every state and 14 countries worldwide.

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