Marvin Cypress made his way over between exercises to provide some perspective: “These exercises are easy — if you don’t have Parkinson’s. If you do, it’s like you’re drunk, and the boat is moving from side to side.”
Cypress, 76, was doing what he does every Monday and Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. — working out with Lori B. Havas at her Parkinson’s Warriors Gym in west Eugene.
When he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive movement disorder of the nervous system that leads to tremors, stiffness, impaired balance and other problems, Cypress told himself that he would not stop living.
“This is part of it,” he said, after class ended. “Part of your treatment is doing exercises. And all of this would not be here if it wasn’t for her,” Cypress added, nodding toward Havas, who was busy straightening the 2,000-square-foot space she and her husband, Robert Havas, have leased in a West 11th Avenue business park for almost a year now…