When you mention boxing, the majority of people envision two strong athletes in a ring, adrenaline pumped and trying to defeat each other with their fists. Boxing for fitness is something completely different where entire classes of people can achieve a great workout from a non-contact version of the sport. Boxing as a way to keep fit is becoming increasingly popular and rightfully so considering its many benefits. Boxing increases coordination, strength, endurance, speed, and dexterity. You will learn the proper way to control your feet and the basic boxing stance. You will learn the basic punches like the jab, the hook, and the uppercut and how to effectively combine them all. Boxing is not necessarily for self-defence, but you will learn how to throw a punch. And it will increase your self-confidence knowing that if anything goes awry you should be able to hold your own.

So you may wonder how I got started in boxing. I was already at the gym quite often, three or four times a week, but I was only doing weight training. I did absolutely zero cardio and despite being stronger and more muscular I was still soft around the midsection. I dreaded the thought of going for a run so there was no way I was getting on a treadmill. I considered accompanying my girlfriend to one of her group fitness classes but I was a little put off because there were never many guys attending.

After a conversation with my boss at lunch one day he suggested I come along to a boxing session. He is an incredibly fit man in his 40s. The guy is absolutely ripped, six-pack and everything, so when he talks about getting fit I listen. He offered to let me borrow a pair of boxing gloves, and told me all I needed to bring was a bottle of water and a towel. It was a little daunting as I had never attempted boxing before. My soon-to-be-sparring-partner told me that boxing is something that anyone can do, so that week I tagged along to the gym to try it out. We did a fifteen minute warm up session, followed by thirty or so minutes of sparring, then a fifteen minute cool down. I experienced a whole new world of pain! It was not a result of being hit in the ring; remember this is a non-contact form of boxing. It was my muscles that were burning like they had never burned before. Muscles I did not even know I was using were hurting. My legs, my core, my shoulders; everything burned like fire. I thought I would never get back to the gym, but after a couple of days of recovery I gave it another try.

I was better prepared mentally this time around and knowing the moves allowed for a better work out. I continued going to the gym each week. I noticed my body trimming up and my mid section spare tire was becoming much less noticeable. Because boxing is a workout with high repetition, you will see more body toning than muscle building. Combine that with a good diet and you can really see some results quite quickly.

If I’ve learnt anything from the experience it is not to be scared to try something new. No matter what your skill or fitness level boxing is good for you because it can be modified to increase or decrease intensity and complexity of the workout. Boxing is a high intensity program of exercise. It targets numerous large muscle groups, which assures you a program for toning and building strength while you also become more in shape and better fit. The gym is a great place to hang out with a mate and get a little competitive if you wish, but try and keep it above the belt.

We have all been in a rut, locked in a pattern of circumstances that we cannot seem to get out of. Sometimes, those circumstances change by themselves, but more often we need to take action to ensure that we don’t become stuck in a rut.

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