A lot of the Pickerington Senior Center’s health- and fitness-focused classes are popular, but one of its newest offerings is a real knockout.
TITLE Boxing Club, with a Pickerington location at 864 Refugee Rd., offers boxing classes to retirees at the center. Twice a month, franchise owner Maria Manzo packs up several pairs of boxing gloves and heads to the center to teach.
“At first, (the seniors) assumed it was going to be fighting,” says center Director Nancy Lee. “It was our job to make them understand they’re not boxing each other.”
Instead, Manzo structures the class as more of an individual workout, having each person hit a punching bag and varying the intensity and type of punch.
“The seniors absolutely love it,” says Lee. “They leave with the sweat rolling off them and say they’ll be back for the next one.”
The sessions, based on the Rock Steady Boxing curriculum, are specifically designed to strengthen neuroplasticity, produce healthy brain cells, and improve coordination and balance.
“The seniors absolutely love it,” says Lee. “They leave with the sweat rolling off them and say they’ll be back for the next one.”
The class, begun this past August, has been going strong, with 8-10 regular attendees. The center hopes to see the class expand in the coming months, with the vision of making it free for all members.
“It costs $5 for members right now, but we hope to offer it for free eventually,” says Lee. “Once we get the class built up and more seniors involved, the center will pay for it, and once we make it free, I think it will grow a lot quicker.”
The center encourages daughters and sons to bring their parents, as boxing class can be a great way to spend quality time together. At the same time, it serves as both an exciting and constructive way to let loose.
“It makes you feel so confident in yourself, and I’m 80,” says Carol Focke, a regular attendee. “I get a good workout. It gets my heart beating, and I’m using my arms a lot, which I don’t get to do as much anymore. I’m real thrilled with it.”
Mikayla Klein is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Exercise Classes at Pickerington Senior Center
150 Hereford Dr., www.pickeringtonseniorcenter.org
Strength Class
Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m.
Improve balance while building lower- and upper-body strength.
Boxing Class
Every other Thursday, 9 a.m.
Punch to strengthen balance and hand-eye coordination.
Fitness Firm
Fridays, 9 a.m.
Learn Latin fusion dance moves.
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