Rock Steady is one of the best things I’ve ever done. As I’ve said before, one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done is put off joining a Rock Steady until I was in really bad shape.
According to Rock Steady’s website, “The mission of Rock Steady Boxing is to empower people with Parkinson’s disease to fight back.”
Rock Steady Boxing, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, gives people with Parkinson’s disease hope by improving their quality of life through a non-contact boxing-based fitness curriculum. It really does work! I work out with a group of Parkinson’s patients on Monday and Wednesdays. If you had asked me about Rock Steady 8 weeks ago, I would have told you that, while I would give it a trial, I doubted I would stick with it. I hated group activities and exercise.
I’ve changed my mind. Being in a group with other Parkinson’s patients has been eye opening. The group welcomed me with open arms. Exercising in a boxing-based class is already paying off. I’m ready to increase my participation in Rock Steady to 3 times a week. I may even go 4 times a week.
At the onset of a Rock Steady session, the group forms a circle and each member answers the question of the day. Yesterday’s was to name 4 things you are thankful for. We all have bad days and I was coming off a 3 bad day period. Answering yesterday’s question forced me to concentrate on my positives and listening to the rest of the group share details of their lives brightened my day.
We then took a few laps around the gym and warmed up with our stretching exercises before donning our boxing gloves. I was surprised to find that I enjoy boxing and left at the end of the session feeling better than I did when I got there. By the end of the session, I’m covered in sweat.
Recently, I wrote about arrogance. I’m guilty! I was arrogant enough to assume that I did not need Rock Steady. Afterall, I‘m a doctor, know everything about Parkinson’s and could exercise on my own.
Today’s topic is “the stubborn patient.” Again, I’m guilty. Multiple patients and friends recommended I join Rock Steady. I didn’t. The medical literature recommended I join Rock Steady and I stubbornly ignored their recommendations. Over the years, I dealt with stubborn patients on a regular basis. Most were men. You’d think I would have learned that stubborn patients often hurt themselves. I didn’t!
Learn from my mistakes. Do as I say, not as I did! If you’re a man, the odds that you will stubbornly refuse good advice is high. In multiple recent studies, more women than men have received the Covid vaccine. As of early April, statistics showed the vaccine breakdown between women and men was generally close to 60% and 40% — women made up 58% of those vaccinated in Alabama and 57% in Florida, for example. Get vaccinated!
I know what you’re thinking. Women can be stubborn, too. You’re right, except women tend to be more compliant and less stubborn when it comes to taking care of themselves. That may be why there are so many more widows than widowers.
Here’s your joke for today:
Husband: You are negative
Wife: And you are stubborn, arrogant, a low life, care about no one but yourself and your friends, all you are interested in is your own self, and in all your life you’ve not fulfilled even one of your promises. I’m the only one that has to put up with such a miserly and insensitive man. You good for nothing, fat, ugly man. Even your hair transplant failed.
Husband: I was just letting you know that your Covid test was negative.
