Carson City's Rock Steady Boxing expands to Reno
Tazmanian Boxing Club owner and certified Rock Steady Boxing Club trainer Francisco Rodriguez is taking the fight against Parkinson's Disease to another level.
The former Bantam-weight professional boxing champion is expanding the program introduced to Carson City in December 2015 to the Truckee Meadows starting Tuesday.
"We're looking to get bigger and better," Rodriguez said. "We have partnered with the Academy of Grappling Arts (AGA) to provide a great facility for our Rock Steady Reno revolution!"
Rock Steady Boxing begins a three-day per week class for Parkinson's patients this Tuesday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the ACA facility, located at 1365 Airmotive Way in Reno.
The class is also offered there on Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings from 9 to 10 a.m. beginning this week.
Rodriguez said there has been growing interest from patients in Reno over the past several months, and the program began to look seriously at expansion late last year to meet the demand coming from the "Biggest Little City."
"We've got a good response from there," he said. "We are in a bigger facility so we can provide help to more people."
Rock Steady Boxing Club is an Indianapolis, Indiana-based nationwide program brought to Carson City in late 2015 by Carson-Tahoe Physical Therapist Nina Vogel, who partnered with Tazmanian Boxing Club to introduce Parkinson's patients in Northern Nevada to the therapeutic benefits of boxing.
Since then, Rodriguez himself earned certified credentials from Rock Steady training last year so that he, too, can lead classes and teach patients how to use boxing to their advantage.
"So far people are loving it," he said. "We're doing good, we're doing awesome. We want to help people."
Boxing as an exercise regimen is proven to have therapeutic benefits for Parkinson's symptoms.
The fast-paced, repetitive motions and activities in boxing training help patients can better motor control over the tremors in their upper limbs, while also improving balance and cognition, including concentration and focus.
Rodriguez said Rock Steady Boxing Club membership gives members unlimited access to all affiliate gyms, including Carson City and now Reno.
The monthly membership fee is $50 per month, he said, and covers the cost of classes at both locations as well as unlimited access to both gyms outside of normal class times.
"The great news is that this includes both gyms, so you can work out at both Reno and Carson City classes," Rodriguez said. "The other great news is that we are now a 501(c)3, which means you can write off donations on your taxes in 2017."
Rock Steady Boxing Northern Nevada just recently achieved 501(c)3 non-profit status, he said, which will open the door for more opportunities to grow in the future.
The program remains based in the Nevada state capital and is located at the Tazmanian Boxing Club, 1701 South Sutro Terrace. Carson City classes are currently held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3-5 p.m.
Level two advanced classes run from 3-4 p.m. followed by Level 1 beginner classes from 4-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Rodriguez said.
For more information about Rock Steady Boxing and its classes in Northern Nevada, visit the program's web site here or email at carsoncity@rsbaffiliate.com.
Tazmanian Boxing Club can also be reached by calling 775-722-1752.
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