Jesse Pineiro needed to take a breath between exercises.
The Nelson Boxing Club coach gestured to his student, a 79-year-old man who had gingerly taken a seat nearby, and said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e getting fitter, I鈥檓 getting worse.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檒l give you some of my pills,鈥� quipped Bob Browning.
Browning has been training at the gym, twice a week for about three months. Five years ago soreness in his arm led to Parkinson鈥檚, which is a neurodegenerative disease that affects movement. What that鈥檚 meant for Browning is stiff muscles, poor balance and a hoarse voice.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a sneaky disease,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can have it for 10 years and not know it. It kind of sneaks up on you real slow.鈥�
He鈥檚 not a boxing fan 鈥� his interest began and ended with Muhammad Ali, who also suffered from Parkinson鈥檚. But, after reading online that the sport could help restore movement in people with Parkinson鈥檚, Browning showed up on Pineiro鈥檚 doorstep.
鈥淚鈥檓 not so much into the boxing. It鈥檚 the exercises that I鈥檓 after,鈥� said Browning.
A 2011 published in Physical Therapy showed boxing training can benefit people living with Parkinson鈥檚, but Pineiro hadn鈥檛 previously had experience working with the disease. While with Team B.C. in Salmon Arm, Pineiro consulted with coach Peggy Maerz, who trains groups of people suffering from Parkinson鈥檚.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not really training boxing, we鈥檙e training Parkinson鈥檚,鈥� said Pineiro, who said the disease is forcing Browning鈥檚 movements and balance to fold in. The exercises, therefore, are focused on getting Browning to open up with exaggerated motions in his hands and feet while standing tall.
鈥淚f we repeat it over and over and over again, the big motions that (Browning) doesn鈥檛 do in his everyday life or he does less and less, we鈥檙e hoping to turn back the clock a little on Parkinson鈥檚.鈥�
On this day, Pineiro and Browning began their hour-long workout by passing a soccer ball to get Browning moving his legs. Pineiro also had Browning move clockwise around a square while throwing punches, and used traditional boxing equipment like a speed bag to stimulate Browning鈥檚 reaction time.
Browning hopes all this work pays off in little improvements to his daily life with the disease.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something you can live with and you can last a long time,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ichael J. Fox has lasted a long time. He got it when he was 29. 鈥� It鈥檚 something you can tolerate but it鈥檚 a pain in the neck.鈥�
At one point, Pineiro pulls out a mat and asks Browning to try five pushups.
鈥淭wenty years ago I could have done it,鈥� says Browning, to which Pineiro replies, 鈥淭his thing鈥檚 a time machine.鈥�
Browning completes two pushups. The next time he visits, the pair agree, he鈥檒l do three.
tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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