Boxing program improves lives of individuals with Parkinson’s disease in Denmark

67-year-old Tove Serup has just finished an hour and a half of boxing training, a sport she once found off-putting. “If there’s something that lies far from me, it’s boxing. I think it’s a horrible sport.” However, two boxing coaches have managed to spark her enthusiasm. “They make it fun, and I like the straightforwardness; it makes my chronic illness fade into the background,” she shares.

Tove has Parkinson’s disease and was encouraged to try boxing. “Yesterday, I lifted my summer tires onto a shelf in the shed. It’s nice to be able to do that,” she says.

Today, individuals with Parkinson’s across Denmark are engaging in boxing. At Give Athletic Club alone, over 20 members with the condition attend training sessions. Initially, only five showed up when the program started last summer, but the number has grown significantly, with two training days added and three new coaches trained.

The training emphasizes voice exercises and jabs, focusing on high-intensity movements beneficial for the brain, while also fostering a sense of community in clubs. Marlene Grønnegaard Them, a health policy consultant, notes that over 24 clubs now have specialized boxing programs for those with Parkinson’s, following a successful initiative that was funded from 2021 to 2023.

For club member Thorkild Hansen, diagnosed five years ago, boxing has made a tangible difference. He reports increased strength in his left arm, previously his weaker side. “The training is more intense, challenging, and social than traditional physiotherapy,” he observes.

Tove, who plans to continue boxing, recalls her first experience: “I was paired with a tiny woman, and I thought, ‘I can’t punch her.’ But she punched me hard, and I realized I could do this.”