Pay it Forward: Rock Steady Boxing

By Erin McKnight
Photography By Jonathan Fredin Apr 1, 2025

Rock Steady Boxer Jeff Yencha throws as many punches as he can during a timed exercise at AKtivate Fitness.

“The two most important days of our lives are the day that we are born and the day that we discover our purpose as to why we were born,” says AKtivate Fitness co-owner, fitness coach, and head coach/programmer for Rock Steady Boxing Meagan H. Jacobs, echoing the wisdom of Mark Twain.

The purpose of this season of Meagan’s life found her in October of 2021 when she and her fellow owners were preparing for the grand opening of AKtivate Fitness in Cary.

The gym’s mission, they determined, would be to “provide the best result-driven workouts, achievable for all fitness levels, through world-class coaching, community engagement, and the inspiring of others to improve their health and wellness.”

Offering fun, high-energy, and adaptable workouts for all fitness levels, AKtivate Fitness features a blend of boxing, kickboxing, functional training, strength and conditioning, and speed and agility drills in energetic group classes that keep people coming back for more. As Meagan explains: “From the moment you decide to activate your goals, our coaches are invested in your success.”

AKtivate Fitness co-owner Meagan Jacobs leads a Rock Steady Boxing class.

Those coaches provide support, encouragement, and accountability to a strong community of like-minded people who are working hard to transform themselves.

So, when a group of individuals walked into the future AKtivate Fitness space, Meagan recognized the fight in their eyes and appreciated the hard work they had already put into transforming their bodies, minds, and lives.

These people shared that they were looking for a new home for their boxing program. The gym that had formerly hosted Rock Steady Boxing, a nonprofit that offers evidence-based exercise classes for people with Parkinson’s disease, was unfortunately unable to keep its doors open during the pandemic.

The goal of AKtivate Fitness has always been to “inspire people to reach right where they are and drive them to improve their health and wellness,” says Meagan. Also, a person’s condition doesn’t matter at AKtivate Fitness, which she describes as “a place for all.” She and the other owners knew they had to take a chance.

That chance — which Meagan describes as “the best and most rewarding decision we could have made” — has in turn transformed her.

So, although Meagan and her partners had no knowledge of Rock Steady Boxing and knew little about Parkinson’s, they sat down to listen to these individuals’ stories and various insights about living with the disease — a movement disorder of the nervous system that worsens over time.

Liz Lane (right) fist bumps trainer Patience Wells at the AKtivate Fitness Rock Steady Boxing Program in Cary.

After connecting with Rock Steady Boxing headquarters, meeting with Rock Steady Boxing affiliates across the country, and educating themselves on Parkinson’s disease, Meagan described their decision to welcome these boxers into the AKtivate Fitness fold as “a no-brainer” and one for which they “would go 100% all in.”

And she meant it.

There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, and Meagan acknowledges that “it is a fight every day,” but the benefits of Rock Steady Boxing for people with Parkinson’s are impressive. Participants can expect improved motor skills (hand-eye coordination, agility, and reaction time), which leads to greater ease in completing daily tasks. The program also enhances balance, reducing the risk of falls, and increases confidence in movement. Increased strength and stamina combat weakness and fatigue, which makes daily activities less challenging.

Beyond physical improvements, Rock Steady Boxing sharpens cognitive function through mental focus and strategic thinking. The well-documented benefits of exercise and a supportive community also boost members’ mood and reduce depression. These positive changes contribute to greater confidence and independence and an enhanced quality of life.

Such impressive results are possible because Rock Steady’s adapted boxing drills directly target affected areas like motor skills, balance, coordination, and cognitive function. The program’s “forced intense exercise,” Meagan says, may slow disease progression, while the movement and coordination required for boxing challenges stimulates the brain — promoting neuroplasticity and the potential for the creation of new neural pathways.

A Rock Steady Boxing member sports a show of colors.

The workout itself combines boxing and functional training. Boxing alone improves balance, endurance, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time. The workout also incorporates functional training, which utilizes a variety of equipment to ensure that progress is continuous. This approach to functional training develops flexibility, builds strength, and boosts confidence.

Rock Steady Boxing sessions are scheduled Monday through Friday at various times. No two sessions are alike. Most workouts incorporate high-intensity exercises because studies have proven that an elevated heart rate slows the progression of the disease. “I will admit that our boxers leave with a good sweat!” Meagan says. “We can guarantee that they leave better than they were when they came.”

Although movement may be medicine, Rock Steady Boxing–certified coaches work directly with members to ensure that they also have fun while seeing progress in their fight against Parkinson’s. Though Meagan suggests “the sooner, the better” when it comes to joining the program, she asserts that anyone interested should “just start.” Rock Steady coaches are certified and trained to serve all stages of Parkinson’s and make accessibility adjustments and modifications to the workouts they have programmed.

Every coach is also unique and brings their own coaching style to the Rock Steady program.

“As our program grows,” Meagan explains, “so do our coaches — in our boxers’ corner to motivate, encourage, push, and challenge, and remind them that they aren’t in this fight alone. No matter how tough it may get, we have a philosophy that we will never throw in the towel.”

Meagan Jacobs (right) leads a class that combines boxing and functional training to combat Parkinson’s.

Since 2021, the Rock Steady Boxing program has grown significantly, both in attendance and through forging beneficial partnerships within the community. From connecting with local neurologists, physical therapists, support groups, hospital networks, and many others, Meagan explains: “It’s not just about offering classes; it’s being a resource to provide and connect our members and their families with resources that will benefit their overall quality of life.”

AKtivate Fitness has “built a community, a family, and ‘We fight together!’” says Meagan. Drawing inspiration from Muhammad Ali, who also had Parkinson’s and said, “The service you do for others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth,” Meagan relates how “leading and coaching Rock Steady Boxing has been one of the most fulfilling things I have done in my life.”

She also describes “pouring so much into the program and our Parkinson’s boxers, but in return it pours back into me,” and shares that there are several ways for the community to show support. Volunteers are always needed to provide extra hands and assist during workouts. And since AKtivate Fitness Rock Steady is a 501(c)(3), supporting fundraising efforts for the program means that donations can be used for programming and resources and events for the Parkinson’s community.

Throughout April — which is Parkinson’s Awareness Month — AKtivate Fitness will host several events to bring awareness about the disease and fundraise for the Rock Steady Boxing program, including an inaugural 5k race on April 19 with partner Drive Toward a Cure.

Class participants are taught boxing basics to
improve coordination, balance, and strength.

AKtivate Fitness is also an affiliate of Pedaling for Parkinson’s, a spin cycling initiative similarly designed to slow the progression of disease, which serves as just one example of the type of program AKtivate Fitness hopes to introduce to the local Parkinson’s community.

Grateful to be “leading and coaching this amazing group of individuals” at AKtivate Fitness, Meagan knows that Rock Steady Boxing members aren’t just fighting back — they are working together to knock out Parkinson’s

aktivatefitness.com/rocksteady-boxing

Pay it Forward: Rock Steady Boxing

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