ORLANDO, Fla. – Studies show those dealing with Parkinson's disease could slow down its degenerative effects by boxing.
Now, local men and women are turning to the sport to take on the fight one punch at a time.
"It'll give a more lasting effect than any medicine," said Allen Taylor, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease six years ago. "As time goes on, more and more things you find difficult to do. It puts stress on my wife 'cause she has to help out more. There's less I can do for her. That's the hardest part."
Taylor has been attending the boxing at Wadeview Neighborhood Center intermittenly since it started about a year ago.
"Wish we found it sooner," said his wife, Flora Jo.
Michael Brown is one of the newcomers to the class, which features a combination of hand-eye coordination and footwork.
"It really is a blow to a man's image to find out you have a permanent disease where you have no cure and the day you're living today is the best you're going to be," Brown said.
Which leads to coach Cynthia Badrak.
"It seems a little counterintuitive to give boxing to people with Parkinson's," she said. "But people who have Parkinson's don't need to be coddled. They need force-intensive exercise. I think it's important for people with Parkinson's disease to know they can improve the quality of their life. The studies have shown that people with Parkinson's need two and a half hours of forced intensive exercise a week or they can see the changes in your brain."
"It's one of the first boxing programs to offer those with Parkinson's disease a way to improve their quality of life," said Taryn Rutkovitz, district manager for the city of Orlando's recreation division.
Some of the boxers are already seeing results.
"I don't have tremors," said Frank Sparrow. "I don't have this other stuff."
That class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Wadeview Neighborhood Center in Orlando. Anyone can attend and each class costs $15. You can learn more about the class here.