It is hard to believe that I am in my tenth month at Rock Steady Boxing Boston because in my 71 years I have never lasted this long with any exercise program. Having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s about a year and a half ago, I was eager to learn as much as I could about this disease. My first step in my learning process was registering myself and my family to attend a Partners in Parkinson’s conference and that is where I met Al Latulippe and Greg Geheb.
My family thought that this was something that I should look into further, so three of us (myself, my husband, and one of my sons) went to the gym for an introductory class. At that time, I registered for two months twice a week. I really couldn’t do much. Between being out of shape and being in my golden years, it was hard to get this body used to exercising.
After the initial two month commitment, I signed up for three classes a week and am still at it. Coach Al is very accommodating. If there is something that I can’t do because of a medical reason, he will have me do something else. If I have difficulty with a certain exercise, Al has always been encouraging by reassuring me that I am getting better and stronger.
Classes are always different with innovative changes to keep it interesting and yes we also have some fun. I have made new friends that are helping me to deal with this disease. RSBB has given me inspiration and hope to have the best quality of life that I can with Parkinson’s.
– Barbara Valarose