Boxing training for People with Parkinson’s in Bristol
Every Thursday morning at 10am, the Broad Plain Boxing Club opens its doors to a surprising group of boxers. Not only are most of them over sixty, but they all have Parkinson’s.
The Parkinson’s boxing group has been running since 2016, when Dawn May approached the Broad Plain’s coach, Dennis Stinchcombe MBE, to see if he would be open to training PwP at his gym. Dawn had been to the World Parkinson’s Congress in the USA, where she saw a demonstration of boxing for Parkinson’s, and thought that this could work in the UK. She had worked with Dennis before, with youth groups, and knew how beneficial his training could be. After some initial doubts, Dennis agreed and, ten years later, the group continues to train every week.
Dennis still runs the club, but the Parkinson’s training is led by Gazz Grey. Gazz’s sessions are pitched to encourage you to do as much as you can, irrespective of the limitations imposed by Parkinson’s.
One boxer let us know how it felt to join the group:
“The gym is a real, honest to goodness boxing gym, with two rings and lots of heavy bags. When I first drove into the carpark, I was a little in awe of the place; I’d never been to a boxing gym in my life. I sneaked in and Dennis welcomed me, brought me upstairs to the bar area, where I got a cup of coffee and met some of the other boxers; there were men and women, PwPs, and carers. They were so welcoming that I forgot my nerves.
Perhaps the most surprising thing was how much I enjoyed me first boxing session. Putting on a pair of boxing gloves, hitting a heavy bag, stepping into a ring – everything was new to me. It was the most fun that I’d had exercising in years. It’s also the most tiring exercise that I have ever done. Gazz always encourages and praises effort, but he is a boxing coach first and foremost and expects all of us to do our best. When I got home after that first session, my wife said that I was standing taller and moving more easily than I had in ages.”
Broad Plain also works with England Boxing to spread the word of boxing training for PwPs (https://www.englandboxing.org/case_studies/video-case-study-broadplain-police-helping-people-with-parkinsons/)
Broad Plain, and specifically the Parkinson’s group, have appeared on TV (ITV South West News and BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-bristol-45032161) and has recently appeared in a book about the club (The Luckiest Man Alive: Broad Plain Boxing Club Established 1894 by Beat Kinkaid).
For more information, contact Dennis
Stinchcombe at Broad Plain & Riverside Youth Project
on 0117 955 2866
Boxing benefits
The benefits that Dawn had heard of in the USA ten years ago are still there to be seen today. So, what are the benefits of boxing training:
Physical Benefits
Improved balance and posture: Footwork, weight shifting, and core stabilisation. All reduce the risk of falls.
Muscle strength: Punching heavy bags builds upper-body and core strength.
Improved Agility and Coordination: Repeated movement patterns and coordination exercises improve motor function.
Mental and Social Benefits
Improved mood: High impact aerobic exercise releases brain chemicals that help improve your mood, including serotonin and dopamine.
Improve self-confidence: Increased physical independence improves self-esteem.
Provide social connection: Group classes offer a supportive community (including coffee!).