We are family

Fun is a key element in my exercise routine. Here’s why.

WE are fam-er-LEE! [jab-cross, jab-cross, jab-cross]

I got all my sisters and ME! [upper-cut, upper-cut, upper-cut]

Oh we do have fun on a Friday, my sparring sisters and me. Our Let’s Box class is an hour full of music, laughter and silliness.

Regular readers will know that boxing has been part of my exercise routine since the early days of my diagnosis. As well as a solid cardio workout, boxing helps me maintain balance, co-ordination, symmetry and strength.  My once weaker ‘go leftie!’ hand can now deliver as strong a punch as my right. Sometimes even stronger. I’m not the only parky to experience this.

Punching to a beat and singing out loud helps us focus on delivering strong punches with the satisfying ‘thwack’ on glove on pad. Then something silly will happen and we dissolve into giggles. Scroll further down the lyrics to Sister Sledge’s We are family and you’ll get to the classic misheard line made famous by Peter Kay:

Just let me staple the vicar

Well, we lose count after that and have to start again at the top.

Enjoy the journey and smile

In charge of all this mayhem is Get-Active instructor Debbie Jackman, who has been a huge help to me in my first years of Parkinson’s. She says:

“Boxing is a great exercise to improve balance and symmetry.  As part of the class we discuss stance, with feet hip distance apart, weight equally distributed, and legs slightly bent.  We also focus on twisting and not leaning, plus using both sides equally. When you have a strong base, good posture and have worked on your weaker side, you can really bring power to all your punches.

When you exercise you release endorphins (your happy hormones).  And as long as it feels OK and is safe, then all movement is good movement.  So just do it.  Give it a go and technique can be improved over time.  Don’t ever worry or get stressed about getting it correct first time.  Enjoy the journey and smile.”

Mishearings

‘Just let me staple the vicar’ is an example of a mondegreen:

a mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase in a way that gives it a new meaning (Wikipedia).

Very often the new meaning is funnier than the original. You’ll have your own favourites – please do share them. My two are Bryan Ferry in Let’s stick together:

We made a vow, to feed one another feathers

And Carole King in I feel the earth move:

I feel the sky come Turnbulling down

Believe me, once you’ve heard your own name in a song you cannot unhear it.

Play> We are family> Sister Sledge