"Son, we’re all fighters, every single one of us. Fighting is the first sport of every man and woman. From the minute we’re born, we’re fighting to breathe, to open our eyes. We’re fighting to walk and we’re fighting to talk. You can’t get rid of the desire to fight when it’s your very first lesson in life." – Legendary Scots boxer Ken Buchanan.
Boxing is a primal instinct, instilled into us from birth. Not only that, it’s a killer workout. Tennis players, footballers and dancers have been known to jab, hook and upper cut their way to the top of their chosen sport; basically, if you want to be a better athlete, step into the ring. Still not convinced? Here’s 10 reasons why everyone worth their fitness salt should integrate boxing into their routine:
1) One word: Cardio There’s a reason boxers are the fittest athletes around; boxing burns around 727 calories an hour. Tired of monotonous treadmill runs? Switch it up with intense boxing drills, sparring and bar work circuits until you’re gasping for breath. Boxing doesn't’t just look fierce – it delivers.
2) Serious Cool Points Let’s be honest, faced with the choice of saying ‘I play a little five-aside’ or ‘I’m heading to the ring for a fight’ – well, we know which one we’d rather say. Boxing is just cool. And it’s good for you – result.
3) Improve Hand – Eye coordination When facing an opponent, you have a mere split second to protect your face from a flying fist. Yes, a badminton match improves hand – eye coordination too, but the threat of a black eye is some serious incentive to get out of the way!
4) Sharpen your Mind Not only a killer workout for your body, boxing strengthens one of the most important muscles you own – your brain. Unlike other sports, you have to be completely on the ball at all times, and thinking about both offense and defence simultaneously. Not to mention the character building effects of being in the ring and under pressure. The feeling you get from winning a boxing match is like no other; you’ll gain the confidence you need to take on anything in life – it’s about more than just physical fitness. Talk about incentive…
5) Spartan Abs of Steel Boxing is inarguably a great cardio and strength building workout, however what many people fail to realise is that it’s absolutely killer for your core. With every jab, hook and uppercut you’re effectively crunching your abs and getting closer to that six-pack dream. Boxers have a naturally low stance in the ring, tensing their quads and holding themselves in place with core strength - the low centre of gravity means the power from each punch comes directly from your core. For abs of steel forget the Pilates mat - grab your boxing gloves, instead.
6) Get out of your Fitness Rut Runner? Spinner? Yogi? Whatever your normal workout of choice, get off your butt and out of your rut and try something new. Not only will it be a refreshing change for the mind, mixing it up fitness wise has been proven to get results and combat the common weight loss plateau. Boxing is exhilarating, risky, and will help you improve at any other sport you do – what are you waiting for?
7) Get Sexy Muscles are sexy - fact. Boxing tones the entire body and the high intensity element of it means you’ll burn serious calories, and keep on burning fat throughout the day after a session. Boxing is a one way ticket to loving what you see in the mirror and feeling great about yourself. After all, who doesn't want to look good naked?
8) Time to Yourself Whether you’re a parent with young children, a high powered career type or simply find it difficult to switch off, boxing is a fantastic outlet for stress of any kind. In this age of constantly chasing our tails, we need to take time out for ourselves in order to function properly and maintain health and well-being. So get in the ring to let off steam and forget about the stresses of the day for an hour; your mental state will thank you for it.
9) Food Glorious Food Foodie? Well, we've got great news; the more you box, the more you need to eat. Training at an intense sport such as boxing means your body needs more fuel for energy, muscle growth and to burn all that excess fat. That’s right, delicious meals, a fitter body and none of the guilt. This is going to be delicious.
10) Endorphins With a killer workout comes a killer side effect; we can’t get enough of those endorphins! However much we don’t feel like working out, getting ourselves to the ring and finishing an epic session makes us feel, well, epic. The intensity of boxing means an hour or so is all you need to absolutely smash your body, reach your goals and feel amazing in the process. Never dread your workout again!
So there you have it, ten reasons you should get your butt into the ring, pronto. You can thank us later…