ONE-TWO — Marci Snyder-Crawford, left, director of the YMCA Wellness Center at the St. John Arens, and Judy Owings, health care educator for Our Place, demonstrated gloves and mitts that will be used in the YMCA’s Rock Steady Boxing program for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — Research suggests that exercise can be beneficial for individuals who suffer from Parkinson’s Disease, a degenerative disorder of the nervous system that can affect a person’s movement and balance.

According to the Parkinson Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, recent studies emphasize the need for regular exercise in managing Parkinson’s symptoms.

“In addition to enhancing physical abilities, exercise improves cognitive functions, overall mood (and) a sense of well-being and it helps decrease depression,” the Parkinson’s Disease resource nonprofit writes. “For most people with Parkinson’s Disease, exercise is an important tool for managing the disease.”

The PFWPA lists a number of Parkinson’s exercise classes in Western Pennsylvania, with activities ranging from cardio drumming to Dance for Parkinson’s. But Western Pennsylvania isn’t the only region with classes to keep individuals with Parkinson’s Disease happy and healthy.

In Jefferson County, the senior activity and resource center Our Place presents a Parkinson’s Disease Support Group and several exercise classes to choose from. In the near future, the center hopes to bolster its Parkinson’s Disease-friendly offerings and build a supportive community through a non-contact boxing program, in partnership with the YMCA Wellness Center at the St. John Arena.

When individuals don a pair of padded gloves and step into a real boxing ring, they can’t help but feel more confident in themselves. That’s the feeling Our Place health educator Judy Owings and YMCA Director Marci Snyder-Crawford hope local individuals will have when they participate in the YMCA’s Rock Steady Boxing program.

Rock Steady’s curriculum uses professional boxing techniques to attempt to halt and even reverse Parkinson’s degenerative progress. Exercises target specific symptoms of the disease, while workouts in a group setting provide a community of support and encouragement, boosting self-esteem.

Accredited by the national Parkinson’s Foundation, the program doesn’t set out to cure Parkinson’s in individuals, but participants have reported improved quality of life and physical functioning.

Developed in Indianapolis in 2006, Rock Steady has since expanded to more than 800 affiliate locations in every U.S. state and 14 countries. Snyder-Crawford said the program’s record of success has contributed to rapid growth, and now she and Owings would like to bring that success to Jefferson County.

Snyder-Crawford and Owings are already certified to teach a separate Parkinson’s boxing curriculum that offers a more clinical approach. They plan to obtain their certification for Rock Steady, combining its strengths with their existing knowledge for a more comprehensive class.

“We’re trying to make it more than fitness,” Snyder-Crawford said, “like it’s more of a community, to encourage and show them how to work out together and support each other…”

Complete with bags, gloves and a real boxing ring, the program is still being developed, but more information will be provided during monthly Parkinson’s Disease Support Group meetings and the YMCA’s senior expo May 21.

“I’m all for the community. That is one reason why me and Judy work together,” Snyder-Crawford said. “I try to put out any class and anything that we can to help our seniors get the resources they need.”

Working closely with the YMCA, Our Place serves local seniors 50 years old or older. The center’s Parkinson’s Disease Support Group is just one of the ways it supports this population, connecting them with needed resources and making their lives more fun and active.

Working with seniors for the past 15 years, Owings established Our Place’s Parkinson’s Disease outreach shortly after the center’s founding in 2023. She was encouraged to do so by some local individuals with Parkinson’s Disease — a cause she’s taken a special interest in through her work as a nurse.

Owings said she attended a Parkinson’s conference in Pittsburgh two years ago that got her in contact with the PFWPA. Our Place’s support group is now a PFWPA branch, with Owings having completed her leader workshop training.

“This whole area, including the Pittsburgh area, is a real hotspot for Parkinson’s. but a lot of people are a little reluctant to say they have it or deal with it openly,” said Owings, whose background is in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. “They’re not sure how to handle it, but with all the different research, they’re becoming more and more aware that there are ways of handling the symptoms, and we just want to be a big part of helping them to do that.”

The support group meets at 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at Our Place, which is located in First Westminster Presbyterian Church, 235 N. Fourth St., Steubenville.

The group has 12 active members, with meetings being open to anyone with Parkinson’s Disease or their family members. Meetings usually feature an exchange of ideas among members and a guest speaker.

The April 8 meeting will see a representative from the health care technology manufacturer Medtronic present on its new form of deep brain stimulation that’s gained Food and Drug Administration approval for reducing Parkinson’s symptoms. Those wishing to attend should reach out to (740) 520-0120, ext. 3.

In addition to information and solidarity, support group members have access to several senior fitness programs that can help with their condition and mood. Owings said not everyone connects best with meetings, but exercise might suit their style better.

“A big part of Parkinson’s and keeping the symptoms to a minimum is exercise,” Owings said. “So much revolves around exercise, mobility and balance, and we are just trying to provide options for them to do the exercise in a safe and supervised fashion.”

One of those classes is Enhance Fitness, an evidence-based group exercise program for seniors that combines cardiovascular, strength training, balance and flexibility exercises — with chair support, if needed. Classes are held three days a week: 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Our Place and 10 a.m. Saturdays at the YMCA, 3131 Johnson Road, Steubenville.

Our Place regularly hosts classes for cardio drumming, 10 a.m. every third Wednesday, and Bingocize, every first Wednesday at 10 a.m. While the former program has seniors whacking stability balls like an instrument, the latter combines the game of bingo with exercise and health education.

The three class types are open to all seniors, including those with Parkinson’s, Owings noted.

Thanks to the support group, Individuals with Parkinson’s and their families have become much more knowledgeable about what options are available as their symptoms change, Owings said. Support group members have become effective recruiters, pulling in people who are in similar situations and can benefit from the group.

As the group’s work continues and the Rock Steady program takes shape, Snyder-Crawford said she wants to keep ensuring that local people with Parkinson’s aren’t suffering in silence.

“We’re hoping to reach them so they don’t have to do it on their own, or their families don’t have to do it on their own. We want to create a fun atmosphere for them as a community to build self-confidence and strengthen mobility and everything all in one.”