End of year deadlines. Extra holiday pounds. And a nocturnal puppy. If I had to rate my stress right now, I’d say I’m pretty close to 2007 Britney. December definitely took it’s toll on me, and it seems like all Kris Kringle left me with was an extra wrinkle.
So I decided what better way to alleviate some stress than to go punch some things? I heard rumors that a new boxing studio opened up in Charlotte, called Rockbox Fitness. So I set a date, tied my hair up in a braid (obvi), and went to get my Million Dollar Baby on.
Looks like fun right? Well, here are the other five reasons it’s my new favorite form of cross-training:
1. It’s a killer workout.
I’m gonna be honest. I went into it thinking: if Gigi Hadid can do it, I got boxing in the bag. I’m always seeing Victoria’s Secret models prancing around in hot pink sports bras paired with massive gloves, so surely it’s nothing more than a heart-pumping cardio workout, right?
WRONG. Within minutes of jab-jab-crossing, I was bent over gasping for a second wind. In fact, I probably spent more time crawling over to the water fountains than actually bob and weavin’ on the mat.
2. It has a primal way of making you feel like a badass.
Normally kickin’ and swingin’ wildly categorizes you as a crazy person, but throw some oversized gloves on, and you’re a boxing badass. I don’t know if it’s the high-intensity fast pace of it all, or the fact you’re pulverizing a 100 lb. sand-filled bag, but after a Rockbox class, you can find me struttin’ around like I’m Floyd Mayweather.
3. It works muscles that haven’t seen the light of day.
Like, you know that tiny muscle below your delt, tucked in between your tricep and your bicep? Yeah, I didn’t either. Except now I do, because it’s been aching for two solid days post a$$-kickin’… . Just one hour in the ring gives my whole body a week-long soreness, which I now refer to as the notorious “boxer burn”.
4. It gives me the confidence I need to defend myself.
Us gals know that we have to watch our backs. We know to be aware of our surroundings and keep our wits about us late at night, alone on runs, and even in broad daylight. But unfortunately I’ve only ever felt like I can protect myself by being preventative, but never if something horrible were to happen. Even though those karate classes my dad forced me to take as a kid taught me how to throw a right hook, I’ve never trusted that I could hold my own against a 200-lb. a**hole.
But the more I box, the more confident I am in putting up my dukes. Sure, I know there’s more to self-defense than being able to throw a good punch, but isn’t feelin’ like a big brave dog the first step?
5. It’s where all of the cute guys have been hiding.
I’m not kidding. Forget the sports bar, the driving range, or even the gym. Ladies, trust me when I say you can find all the hotties in the ring. Boxing does a body good.