Residences at Vantage Point Delivers One Million Punches

Boxers at Residences at Vantage Point have thrown over 1 million punches to combat the effects of Parkinson’s disease. Residents of the retirement community in Downtown Columbia are participating in Rock Steady Boxing, an accredited fitness curriculum designed to improve the well-being of its participants through non-contact boxing. Residences at Vantage Point began its #PunchesforParkinson’s campaign on April 1, 2023 to spread awareness of Parkinson’s Disease and to support those in their fight against Parkinson’s.

Fitness Manager Vivian O. Smith and Fitness Assistant Brian Gwaltney challenged residents and staff to “put on a pair of gloves and take your best shot.” Starting last April, the Vantage Point staff tallied up the many punches on the heavy, speed and reflex bags in the Fitness Center each day—shadow punches, included. Their goal was to reach 1,000,000 punches by the end of the year, representing the number of people living with Parkinson’s in the U.S. Smith and Gwaltney, both Rock Steady Boxing Certified Coaches, encouraged both residents and staff to take part in this goal. By December 31st participants had thrown more than 1 million punches.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative movement disorder which can cause deterioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function. Rock Steady Boxing exercises are based upon conditioning drills to improve agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and overall strength.

Vantage Point was among the first Continuing Care Retirement Community in Maryland to receive Affiliate Certification Training from Rock Steady Boxing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the fight against Parkinson’s. Smith and Gwaltney lead twice weekly Rock Steady Boxing classes at Vantage Point and provide a variety of physical conditioning opportunities for residents through classes, activities and visits to the nearby Wilde Lake Swim Center in Columbia.

Residences at Vantage Point is home to over 250 residents. It was founded in 1990 and is a nonprofit serving people age 60 and above. Managed by Life Care Services, the community includes a variety of residential living arrangements from studio to two-bedroom deluxe apartments. It provides long-term health services available exclusively for residents should they need them.

Residences at Vantage Point is noted for its resident engagement with the larger community of Columbia. It is located at 5400 Vantage Point Road. For information, visit www.vantagepointresidences.org.