‘We want to provide them hope’: How boxing is helping Tulsans with Parkinson’s

Boxing might be best known for uppercuts and knockout punches, but in one Tulsa gym, it’s also a way to build strength, boost mental health, and create community, especially for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

At Rock Steady Boxing, trainers aren’t just coaching movement. They’re offering hope to those navigating a life-changing diagnosis.

A Gym With a Purpose

At first glance, Rock Steady Boxing might look like any other fitness class, but every one here is tailored specifically for people with Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that causes shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.

Kristen Phelps has been coaching these classes for about nine years. She says her program helps participants improve physically and mentally.

“We do boxing, that's one of our main things that we do to accomplish that,” Phelps said. “But we also do normal strength training, core exercises, balance drills, even cognitive drills and some fine motor skill work.”

Fighting Back With Community

Phelps says one of the biggest benefits isn’t just the exercise — it’s the support system.

“The camaraderie that they find in the program — because it’s only people with Parkinson’s disease they find that just being around people with the same things they’re going through is a really big benefit,” she said.

In a space filled with shared stories and mutual encouragement, members push past their limits, both physical and emotional.

Exercise as Medicine

Doctors often recommend exercise to help manage symptoms of Parkinson’s, but Phelps says the kind of high-intensity movement they do here may actually slow the disease’s progression.

“A lot of people are given this diagnosis and they think, well, that’s it that that’s the end for me. I'm just going to go home, get my affairs in order and go silently into the good night,” she said. “But here we want to provide them hope that they can have a fun life, a good life. A life where they’re not as impacted by this disease as they once thought they were.”

Expanding the Mission

Phelps says the success of the Tulsa program has inspired a new expansion. A second Rock Steady Boxing class location in Claremore.

To learn more about how to join or support Rock Steady Boxing, you can visit its Facebook page, or contact Kristen Phelps at 918-516-8482 for additional program information.