Punch.Drunk.Love – Why Boxing Is My New Anti Aging Drug

Gloves, a sandbag, crazy cardio and strength-training = your antidote to looking and feeling younger (dopamine alert!).

I have to admit – the images of sexy and lissom Victoria Secret models as well as IT girls, Gigi Hadid and Cara Delavigne, swearing that boxing is their go-to sport for their enviable physiques, first piqued my interest (and they looked so cute with their boxer braids and outfits!). Keen to start a new workout for 2016, I researched online and booked a trial class at Evolve MMA. Part inspired yet intimidated by their website, which brandished images of chest-beating, sweat-drenched fighters, I pulled two of my friends along as guinea pigs.

The studio was clean and as expected, full of male testosterone and a few gutsy females. Class commenced and the warm-up, consisting of running laps around the studio and rope-skipping just about knocked the wind out of me. Then we learnt boxing techniques, and put what we learnt by punching and kicking the daylights out of punching bags, followed by sparring with our instructors. At the end of the 90-minute class, I had amassed a beautiful mess of bruises on my legs, but relieved that I did not get carried out horizontally on a stretcher. I was also hooked! Unfortunately, the membership fee at Evolve did not make sense financially as I also had my yoga membership and wanted to maintain my 3x weekly practice there.

 

My search then led me to Juggernaut Fight Club – the name itself evoked images of one of my favourite movies and hottie, Fight Club’s Tyler Durden. The place was small, gritty and reeked of BO. For someone who can’t even use public toilets at hawker centres, I was definitely pushed beyond my comfort zone. However, looking at all the trophies and medals proudly displayed reassured me that I was in good hands. The classes are also led by professional fighters and reigning champions in the fighting sport. I did my trial class…and just something about sweating it out with a bunch of virile, young men in a room without air-conditioning made me feel #badass and I immediately signed up!

To date, I have been going twice a week for three weeks and with each class, I feel myself getting stronger, faster and less-retarded in my moves. Every 60-minute class starts with cardio and strength-training followed by shadow boxing, learning new moves, sparring, work on the punching bag and more HIIT (high intensity interval training) to end.

If you don’t already know, let me list down the benefits of boxing:

• It shreds fat like nobody’s business. Apparently, each session burns up to 1000 calories and I can just feel my pineapple tarts screaming as they are torched.
• Boxing is a full body workout that also improves a number of skill-related parameters of fitness, including balance, coordination, reactivity and agility.
• Want a serious six-pack? Skip the sit-ups and get in the ring instead. Boxing is extremely taxing on the core. Your hips need to rotate in order to get full extension and deliver a more powerful blow. Want ripped biceps? Try punching relentlessly for a good 30 minutes, on top of push-ups, planks and other upper body workouts.
• My favourite – there’s nothing better to release some stress than punching a mitt or a heavy bag. The adrenaline that is released during boxing and the hormonal response far exceeds any physical benefits. Not only is hitting something a healthy and productive way to help you let go of tension, the rush of endorphins released are also likely to make you happier too.  I leave the gym with a big smile everytime!
• Coordination helps you perform better in any workout and strengthens the brain-body connection, boosting your body awareness so you can tune in to how you’re feeling physically. While most exercise routines don’t do much in this department, hand-eye coordination is key for boxing. Punching a bag or sparring requires focused movements and amazing recall, challenging your muscles and your mind.
• It is also extremely empowering when you feel strong and good about yourself. You are also equipped with the moves and strength to defend yourself – if need be.
• Boxing keeps improving your body and safely challenges your limits. Your body moves exactly the way it was intended to move, just at elevated speeds. Plus you can train with the same intensity and purpose of a competitive boxer in your home or gym.

True to its glorious reputation, I can see a six-pack forming, my arms are rock-solid and my mind feels more alert just trying to remember the permutation of jabs, hooks and punches, not to mention the footwork – and making them all work together in sync! Boxing is definitely my legal high these days! I actually count the days till my next class and look like I’m possessed, lying in bed practising my new boxing techniques before I snooze. So, grab a pair of gloves and I’ll see you in the ring!

Need more convincing? Here’s a video of my boxing idol, Adriana Lima showing off her nimble moves: