Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — April 25, 2025 — An exercise program in Jonesboro is making sure people with Parkinson’s disease keep active and healthy through boxing.

Rock Steady Boxing has been available at St. Bernards Health and Wellness since 2018. The program is made up of classes where participants do regular exercises such as stretching, push-ups, and running, and non-contact boxing.

Group exercise instructor and boxing coach Barbara Armstrong said the value of the program, which was founded in 2012, is that it has been proven that short, quick bursts of exercise, followed by periods of rest, are the most beneficial for Parkinson’s patients to try to prevent the onset of new symptoms.

“We always tell them on the days you feel the worst, it’s the day you need to be there the most,” she said. “Generally, by the time they leave, they may be dragging and tired, but they’ll get that endorphin boost about 20, 30 minutes after.”

Armstrong said Parkinson’s disease can affect people in different ways, so they try to make sure they can do what they can to meet everyone’s needs.

Richard Long has been participating in the program after retiring in 2022, three years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

“I knew something was wrong. It affected my motor skills, I knew I was slowing down,” Long said. “They weren’t doing night classes, and I was still working. So, when I finally retired in 2022, I just immediately came up here.”

Jerry Clark, who was diagnosed in 2015, said he found out about the program thanks to his wife’s aunt, and he has been participating since almost the very beginning.

“When I first started doing this, I could be standing at a counter, and I couldn’t back up. I had to try to figure out how to get my feet going,” Clark said.

Both Long and Clark said since participating in Rock Steady Boxing, they have noticed improvements with their symptoms. Clark said he has noticed improvements while going out and doing yard work, as well as improved strength.

Long said the program also helps with creating long-term friendships.

“The guy next to me, we sometimes go around and play ping pong afterwards before we leave. We get together at different times and have some games,” Long said.

One difference Armstrong has noticed in participants in the classes is how they manage when they take their medications, often talking with their doctors on a plan to ensure it does not affect their day.

“As opposed to taking one pill every four to six hours, they might take two pills in the morning to get them through the busy part of their morning, or they may take two right at lunch if they know they’re coming to boxing,” she said.

Armstrong added that other improvements she has noticed include better hand-eye coordination and faster reaction times.

The program is something personal to Armstrong, having lost her mother who had Parkinson’s at the age of 74. She said she treats this program as a way to do something for other people and pay it forward.

“The crew? Even our volunteers? They love these people, and we form relationships with them, and they have good days and bad days just like the rest of us do,” she said.

Armstrong hopes those who are thinking about participating in the program remember one thing.

“Exercise is medicine,” she said. “It’s medicine for everyone, but it’s especially critical to Parkinson’s patients. You can’t force somebody to do something, but I will say the ones that I have seen the most consistent results with are the ones that are most physically active on their own, as well as in class.”

Classes are offered every Tuesday and Thursday from 12 to 1 p.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Men and women of all ages are welcome, and classes accommodate varying fitness levels and degrees of Parkinson’s disease.

If you are interested in participating, call 870-207-7700 to set up an assessment.