It’s a baffling disease that comes in different degrees and forms, often making the things most take for granted much more difficult to do.
“I noticed my left side started moving slower and coordination wasn’t as good. Ruined my golf game,” says Billings orthodontist Buddy Kastrop, who found out that the reason was Parkinson’s Disease.
Kastrop is one of about two dozen people who take part in the Rock Steady Boxing Program at Rock Solid Martial Arts in Billings on Monday and Wednesday afternoons.
It’s a program aimed at helping people with Parkinson’s stay strong and live a better quality of life.
Former Yellowstone County District Judge Gregory Todd began to notice one of the most common symptoms, shortly before he retired from the bench.
“When I was holding papers it would kind of rattle. It was obvious that that tremor was affecting me holding them, and so that prompted going to a neurologist and verifying it,” he says.
The culprit: Parkinson’s Disease.
“This tends to at least slow down the advance of symptoms of the Parkinson’s as well as just a general feeling of fitness and well-being,” says Todd.
Approximately 90,000 people are diagnosed each Parkinson’s each year in the United States, but in this class, they are doing everything they can to fend it off.
And that means throwing a few punches.
Jonathan Waterfall is the owner of Rock Solid Martial Arts and instructor of the class. He says he jumped on the opportunity after a Parkinson’s support group approached him a few years ago.
“It can help building that muscle. Firing those neurons can really help with the Parkinson’s symptoms,” he says.
Parkinson’s has no cure. It’s a progressive disease where symptoms most often get worse over time, but studies have shown that moderate to high intensity exercise can slow the progression.
“It’s a lifesaver. I’m able to move and have more flexibility,” says Clyde Bennett, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about 10 years ago.
“I think it is really a great thing. The one thing they have found with exercise is it is the one thing that can slow the progression of the disease, and in addition to that it is just a great community here,” says Karen Sanford Gall.
Along with boxing—and other physical exercises—this group also works on their balance and how to handle a fall—something than can be an issue for people with Parkinson’s.
“They are fighting for a better quality of life. Whether it be to get down and play with their grandkids, “says Waterfall.
There is also that common bond that those in the class share—which makes it easier to punch back at Parkinson’s.
“It’s fun and there’s the social part of the whole thing. We are all in the same boat—just at different stages,” says Bennett.
The class meets every Monday and Wednesday afternoon. If you would like more information on the program, you can contact Rock Solid Martial Arts at 406-670-0148.
