<h1>Pugilism doesn't hurt</h1>

I love boxing. My shoulder only hurts a little and I am now able to jab with a slight amount of pressure. I watch the people who know what they are doing and I try to emulate their moves and I must say, I am doing better. It would be interesting to get in the ring with a peer or preferably someone of lesser ability (I hate to lose). Our classification would have to be "Naive newbies over the age of 70 with aches and pains". Never going to happen. Rock Steady boxing is strictly exercise, but we still get to fight two opponents, the first is PD, and the second, the heavy bag. So far, going into my 9th year since dx, I am holding my own with both.

Real boxing must be a lonely sport. Imagine you are alone in the ring facing another boxer who is legally permitted to pound you into a coma! You have trained, alone, for years to be ready for the moment that the ballet begins. The audience is against you. The air around you is polluted with shouts to your opponent to kill the bum. Your arms feel heavy but you are ready for the dance. The crowd just see two fighters ready to brawl. They don't realize boxing is a beautiful sport. The rhythm of the spectacle is a symphony of combination, jab, cross, hook, and uppercut.

And, it doesn't hurt that win or lose, you will be richer in the wallet for having tried.

Fighting PD can be described as a "lonely fight", like boxing, except PWP use boxing as a weapon. That's is right folks, boxing is beneficial in our fight with PD. A study by the Parkinson’s Foundation found that people with the disease who exercised at least 2½ hours a week experienced slower declines in quality of life than those who didn’t exercise at all. Boxing can improve optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, balance, hand-eye coordination, footwork, and overall strength. It doesn't cure the disease or even slow its rate of progression, but it works on symptoms.

In my case, at 9 years in, I should be in worse shape than I am in presently. Maybe it is good luck, but I like to think I have benefited from 3 decades of exercise and it is never too late to start. Try boxing. Check it out at any Rock Steady Boxing site. You won't be disappointed.