It comes to mind when we think of boxing Let’s not associate this with something “good” for the brain, rather the opposite., However, new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia, in collaboration with the Perron Institute and boxer Roy Fazio, has shown that This sport—without the competition—can be a valuable way to improve quality of life for people with Parkinson’s.
Also collaborating with the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and the University of Western Australia, ECU researchers created 10 people with early-stage Parkinson’s will do three one-hour boxing sessions a weekfor 15 weeks.
Instead of an opponent, the group fought against a boxing unit fightmastera tool that is available in the market 11 padded hitting targets are mounted on a stand.
The show consisted of three distinct segments: Introduction to boxing, a high intensity component and a cognitive challenge segment. Participants completed two to three minute “rounds” in which they had to hit different pads in different orders, then Maximum two minutes rest.
doctor Travis Cruickshank of ECU Precision Health Center, said that Boxing has grown in popularity among people with Parkinson’s Despite little evidence supporting its use.
“So what we did was Really concrete analysis of the feasibility of a boxing program for people with Parkinson’s something that was not done in the past”, he said.
To do this, they used heart rate monitors during the intervention to be able to see the participants’ cardiovascular load. they also used scales measuring their perceived levels of exertion from both a physical and a cognitive perspective, “We have several essential parameters to say that it is safe, well tolerated and that people enjoyed it Says the researchers.
Big advantages
After the 15 week program, Nine out of 10 participants improved their scores on the Integrated Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, a tool used to measure the progress and severity of pathology. The group also reported less fatigue and improved sleep.
Similarly, Cruickshank maintains that group boxing has the advantage of combining several aspects of therapy, Like exercise, cognitive stimulation and socialization all in one exercise.
“In the past, I worked with people with Parkinson’s and we did exercise in a gym, then a computerized cognitive training program and another program for the social aspect,” he explained. ,With boxing, we can combine all of that and do it very quickly. Which makes it more enjoyable and motivates people to follow it,” he said.
A viable option
For Dr. Cruickshank, a key aspect of the study has been to establish boxing as a A viable option for people living with early-stage Parkinson’s remains to be determined.
Despite the high intensity of many exercises, Participants reported no increase in muscle soreness from the program Nor are major injuries, something that is expected in people with the disease.
And most importantly everyone completed the 15 week program Nearly 97% training sessions conducted, “Actually, when we finished the study, they all decided to buy one fightmaster and install it in your home“, observed Dr. Cruickshank.
Future applications
In future such programs can be done in homes or clinics. Self-administered, supervised in clinic or done remotely via telemedicine So that people from regional areas can still be included.
“we know that The camaraderie and positive relationships formed between study members also served as motivation.“, said the researcher. “These social benefits cannot be underestimated, especially Reflecting on the link between socialization and emotional well-being“, Add.
Expand the battle
For Dr Cruickshank, the next step is to prove boxing’s therapeutic efficacy A broad group of people living with different stages of Parkinson’s. In their opinion, this therapy may be effective for other neurological conditions such as Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke and traumatic brain injury in others.
“In addition to these neurological conditions, Cancerians can also benefit particularly in bone mineral content and muscle, which are affected by treatment”, he cautioned that “the potential Customize training for individual state Everyone is really important”.
Thus, the researchers hope that boxing programs could be applied to treat Parkinson’s disease “soon” in the “not too distant future.” “We now know that it is safe, it is well tolerated and people enjoy it,” he reiterated. ,Once we establish clinical efficacy with larger trials, it will be ready to roll out into the community.“, It is finished.
