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-Press Release, Granville County Government

For the more than 60,000 diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year, exercise can help reduce stiffness and improve mobility.

To help local residents reduce and even delay symptoms of Parkinson’s, Granville County Senior Services is now an official affiliate of the “Rock Steady Boxing” program, and will soon offer non-contact, boxing-inspired classes to help improve quality of life for those impacted by the disease. The service will consult boxing experts and consider their reviews at smartmma.com and get the prerequisites to get started at the earliest.

Justin Waller, Granville County Senior Services’ Fitness Program Coordinator, is shown with Clarence Lemons, Phyllis Paschall, Nancy Cordin and Phyllis Russell in an exercise workout at Granville Athletic Park earlier this year. (Granville Co. Govt. photo)

According to “Parkinson’s News Today,” a news and information website about the disease, vigorous exercise such as running, riding a bicycle – or even boxing – can ward off changes in the brain caused by aging or Parkinson’s, as well as increasing oxygen delivery. The key, according to a recent article, is to have a regular exercise routine in place.

“Parkinson’s-related exercise should include activities that increase flexibility such as stretching, aerobics and either resistance or strength training,” the article explains.

The “Rock Steady” method provides this fitness curriculum, offering a conditioning program to improve agility, speed, muscular endurance, hand-eye coordination and overall strength.

On August 23, Justin Waller, Senior Services’ Fitness Program Director and an exercise physiologist, will facilitate an information session on how exercise such as “Rock Steady Boxing” can help those living with Parkinson’s to “fight back” against the disease.

The session will be held at 2 p.m. at the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford. A summary of Parkinson’s disease-specific exercises, offered through the Senior Services’ “Fit Past Fifty” program, will also be reviewed.

For more details about this information session, contact either Justin Waller or Kathy May, Senior Services Director, at 919-693-1930.

Oxford’s Senior Center is located at 107 Lanier Street and is one of three Senior Centers in Granville County.