Local Boxing Gym Provides Lessons for People with Parkinson’s

Coach Keith Keppner with his clients

There’s a new boxing class in Athens and it’s aimed at people with a crippling disease.

Keppner Boxing provides boxing lessons for people with Parkinson’s. After Coach Keppner had a person with Parkinson’s disease ask for a class specifically with people diagnosed, he was happy to start a class. Coach Keppner got word about other boxing gyms who did the same thing and couldn’t wait to provide that opportunity for Athens locals. 

“They are a tremendous group of people that are tremendously positive and it’s like my experience with people that have any type of health concern or any type of troubles in their life, they’re actually more positive people than people that have had everything easy.”

The sport of boxing allows the increase of the body’s ability to use dopamine which can in turn help diminish the effects of Parkinson’s. The clients who participate in the boxing lessons at Keppner enjoy the sport and the benefits attached with it.

“I have confidence in the literature that boxing is eventually helpful to cause the brain to produce the chemicals that are necessary to at least control Parkinson’s and possibly diminish it.”

Appointments are only on Tuesday at 10:00 AM.