Ready to Rumble: Seniors Slug It Out in Boxing Classes

It's a bright Tuesday morning inside the exercise room at Quail Park at Shannon Ranch at the west end of the building.

They had already begun to gather, the six facility residents who would engage in some light stretching and calisthenics before strapping on boxing gloves in preparation for going a few rounds. But this wasn't just any northside boxing club. They were seniors, and no, not the high school variety.

The youngest is 71-year-old Richard Gress, who is also the only male in the group. The oldest is 99-year-old Barbara Artis, who strode into the room donning red Champs boxing shorts and a matching red and white cape.

"A lot (the residents) thought they'd have to box each other," said Ariel Gaspar, a fitness trainer at the facility who came up with the idea of offering a boxing for balance class. "Management completely supported the idea."

While participants do get the chance to pummel bags, they do not spar against each other. Sessions are structured into a series that includes warm-ups followed by boxing stations that include, among other elements, a heavy bag, speed bag, and a body opponent bag, reverently referred to as Bob, where the main objective seems to be using an uppercut to dislodge a Quail Park baseball cap from its head.

"Here I am, an 82-year-old standing here punching a bag," said Patti Miller. "But it makes me happy. I'd really be happy if I could knock the hat off his head."

Gaspar said he started researching exercise options for seniors when he found that boxing encompassed elements that went beyond traditional straight-line body movements, such as resistance training.

"I feel the population needs this, not repetitive movements," he said. "I looked at what sport encompasses the most movement, and boxing seems to be that."

Boxing also provides therapeutic benefits for those who have Parkinson's Disease. Although you can't reverse the diagnosis, you can slow its progress through physical fitness activities which help maintain balance, mobility and overall quality of life.

According to the Parkinson's Foundation, there are over one million U.S. residents living with the disease, which is expected to grow to 1.2 million by 2030. The Central Valley is believed to have a higher incidence of the disease, with the air pollution and pesticides thought to be a contributing factor, so much so that some neurologists refer to it as Parkinson's Alley.

Quail Park offers two types of boxing classes: Rock Steady classes for Parkinson's patients and Boxing for Balance for everyone else to improve their strength, balance and endurance. Non-residents of Quail Park at Shannon Ranch having Parkinson's can participate in the Rock Steady class up to three times per week for $30 per class or $300 per month. While the Rock Steady classes benefit those with Parkinson's, Gaspar expanded the concept to include Boxing for Balance classes for those wanting to improve their strength, balance and endurance.

"It would be unfair if we did it only for people with Parkinson's," he said. "The community of those 65 and older would benefit from this style of training." He encourages anyone interested in either class to call Quail Park at (559) 527-8245 to find out more. "I would say if anyone's interested, come on by," he said.

Jan Gonzales, 72, said she enjoys the Boxing for Balance class.

"It's invigorating," she said when asked how it feels to hit a bag. "You let out everything."

"I have more energy," said 84-year-old Dorothy Malkasian.

"I'm not asking them to go 100% every time because of their aging bodies," said Gaspar. "There are medications and blood pressure issues," he added while describing the differences between Boxing for Balance for seniors and traditional boxing. "There are also fatigue issues."

Which is why each 30-second drill is spaced out by a few minutes of rest.

"That's not what I call resting," said Artis from a bench as she watched Gress and 76-year-old Marti McCraw horsing around, dancing between drills.

Participants round out the session by completing a series of non-boxing drills that stimulate either physical or cognitive abilities before engaging in a cool-down series of exercises.

"I've definitely seen their stamina and energy improve since we started," said Gaspar, which is pretty impressive since the class began in March. "Really, the goal is to get more people out and engaging in exercise. After age 65, people tend to do less."

Gaspar said class sizes are capped at 10 participants, and additional classes would be added to accommodate additional boxers.

"If you had been here (for the first class) everyone was sitting down," said Gaspar. "Their endurance is getting better."