Boxercise to rock music

This is no ordinary exercise session....it’s a mix of boxercise and rock music in which participants punch the air and beat drumsticks together in time to a pumping soundtrack.
Rockbox Fitness is scoring a big hit with in-patients and workers at the Hartington Unit next to Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

Linda Siddalls, 56, has schizophrenia and struggles with a back problem so has to do the exercises sitting down. She said: “I feel a lot better and so energetic afterwards. I feel like I could do ten rounds with Tyson.”

Anne Tonks is a ward administrator and has arthritis in her knees. She said: “This class gives me a lot more mobility than I had before. It’s the only class that I’ve done that I’ve really enjoyed coming to. The leaders are so enthusiastic and they make exercise easy even though it’s not. They push you to your own limits.
“I think it’s good the way staff and patients integrate. It gives the patients so much independence and shows them that exercise can be fun.”

Clare Farnsworth, recreation co-ordinator for the Hartington Unit, said: “On average we have about 12 patients attending. We’ve had some great feedback; one patient said that for forty-five minutes they didn’t feel like they were in hospital and it was better than any medication.
“Exercise is good as it releases endorphins which helps with depression and anxiety. It helps with thought processes, builds up self worth, makes the sleep pattern better and builds up the immune system.
“Studies prove that exercise is just as effective at treating depression as medication is.
“Medication used in psychiatry does increase appetite and putting weight on can increase the risk of heart disease. We try to do a lot around physical activities, whether it be in a gym or walking.”

Rockbox started as a community fitness class in towns and villages around north Derbyshire. Clare said: “We did a taster session at the unit in January and the patients loved it. I couldn’t walk anywhere without people saying ‘Can we do it again?’
An approach to Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust resulted in £2,000 being released from charitable funds to cover the cost of weekly Rockbox sessions for a year.
Patients who are discharged from Hartington are encouraged to attend a Rockbox class outside the unit as it helps with their social inclusion.

Rockbox Fitness classes are held in the following places:
The Bret Club, Market Street, Clay Cross - Mondays 7pm.
Tupton Village Hall, Green Lane, New Tupton - Tuesdays 6pm, Sundays 10.30am. 
Everlast Fitness Club, Brook Park, Meadow Lane, Shirebrook - Wednesdays 10.20am, Thursdays, 6pm.
Sheena Wallace Dance School, Ulverston Road, Newbold, Chesterfield - Fridays 6pm.
Admission is £5 per class, free for children under 15 years. To book, call 07792 916850 or 07763 060976.

Rockbox founders Jade Hendon and Sharon Clifton reckon they have cornered the competition in the fitness class market.
The pair who met through a passion for boxing have been inundated with requests to take their cardio and toning workouts further afield.
Jade said: “We’re looking to franchise as it’s a dream of ours to see other people instructing our classes and the thought of going out to other hospitals would be fantastic.”
Sharon, 42, said: “We’re really proud of the mental benefits of exercise which makes you feel empowered and stronger in yourself.”
They learned boxing fitness techniques through the Hatton Academy after meeting at a specialist gym in Chesterfield three years ago.
Hotel manager Jade, 35, who lives in Tupton, said: “We thought there was a gap which could be filled with boxing training and rock music. We wanted to create a class in the style of music that we like to train to.”

Rockbox was launched in Tupton a year ago and now 50 people attend twice-weekly classes at the village hall. The business has expanded to Clay Cross, Newbold and Shirebrook.
Jade and Sharon lead the classes, guiding participants through routines which they have choreographed to music by rock stars such as Foo Fighters, System of a Down, Linkin Park and T Rex.
Jade said: “We’re not aerobicy and dancey and we’re far from being a girly class. Women feel empowered, men feel comfortable and families can come along.”
Rockbox has also struck a chord with schoolchildren. Workshops have been held at Tibshelf School and Jade’s nine-year-old son, Leighton, has launched his own Rockbox classes at Holmgate Primary School, Jade said: “Give them drumsticks and a bit of Bon Jovi and the kids love it.”
Fitness instructor Sharon, of New Whittington, has passed on her passion for Rockbox to her seven-year-old daughter, Ella Jade. Sharon said: “She loves it - she does it at home."