Find What Keeps You Moving | Ryan Cotton

Ryan Cotton has been part of Rock Steady Boxing since it was thirty boxers in an aerobics room.

With more than 20 years of clinical experience and a Doctorate in Health Science, he joined as a board member before becoming Chief Scientific Officer and eventually President and CEO. When his father was diagnosed with Parkinson's, the work became personal.

By then he already understood what the research said and what the gym floor proved: that people who keep moving do better, and that engaging with the disease early changes its trajectory.

This episode covers what changes after a diagnosis and what helps people stay engaged in the life they still want to live. Exercise as daily medicine, building the right medical team, and the support systems that offer both understanding and accountability.

Key Takeaways

➡️ Exercise is part of the treatment plan, not an optional add-on.

Ryan explains why consistent, moderate-to-high intensity exercise has become central to Parkinson’s care, with benefits that can show up physically, emotionally, and neurologically.

➡️ The best exercise is the one you will keep doing.

Boxing is one model, but Ryan is clear that movement can take many forms. Cycling, rowing, dancing, strength work, etc., or a mix of disciplines can all matter if they keep someone engaged.

➡️ Community turns exercise into accountability.

The gym becomes more than a place to train. It becomes a place where people compare notes, check on each other, offer encouragement, and sometimes give the push someone needs to keep going.

➡️ Early action changes the experience of diagnosis.