FITNESS BOXING
Author: Ross O’Donnell
The Boxing benefits of getting fit without the risk of getting hit!
Fitness enthusiasts are constantly seeking new, innovative and challenging ways to get in shape. Many clubs feature expensive machines and line ups to use them, with “garden variety” basic exercises. They rely on the uneducated consumer’s belief that they can’t workout with it lots of equipment…that is the biggest myth in the industry. With minimal equipment and no line ups, you can get you the results you are looking for with Fitness Boxing.
Over the last few years traditional fitness type classes like cardio-boxing that move to music have waned in interest and athletic-fitness boxing has become a popular form of fitness training in North America.
The attractiveness of fitness boxing is that participants get a calorie burning cardiovascular & resistance workout combined with learning valuable self-defense skills. By wearing boxing gloves and punching heavy bags and focus pads, the extra weight of the gloves and hitting the pads adds resistance, improves technique and reduces the likelihood of hyperextension to the elbows and shoulders by providing a target for impact. It also is a dynamite way to build self-confidence, agility, coordination, stamina and mental focus rather than just moving in choreographed non-authentic combinations to the beat of aerobics music.
Incorporating a Fitness Boxing program or specialty boxing personal training sessions encourage partner training which provides for increased motivation, commitment to the program and makes it the perfect type of activity for men or women, couples, mother-daughter, father-son or just friends to get involved in. It is an ideal fresh innovative optional workout enabling participants to add a new dimension to their routine. The fitness boxing techniques and combinations are structured and designed based on authentic sport boxing but do not require sparing. Other than the gloves meeting the pads, there is no physical contact between the participants.
Look for instructors who have completed a fitness boxing certification before attending classes or committing to personal training sessions. Instructors and trainers who are certified in fitness and have a background in boxing, boxing and martial arts will provide the clients with the safest most efficient instructions. As in most martial arts training and fitness programs, fitness boxing participants can be divided into categories distinguishing skill and fitness levels: Beginners, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. Fitness boxing is designed adhering to self-defense principals and fitness related benefits, which usually can be realized within six to twelve months. Program operators can establish certificates of accomplishments and other forms of recognition for attainment of each level, providing for short and long term establishment in goal-setting over a 3 – 6 + month periods. Goal setting and recognition equates to incentive and commitment to the workout.
A typical session will begin with an instructional segment on proper punch and pad holding techniques and then into structured 2 to 3 minute rounds to replicate actual boxing & boxing rounds, with the participant enhancing mental focus by concentrating on the various, challenging and stress relieving punch, slip, bob & weave combinations. Participants can then implement it as the cardio portion or warm-up to their regular routine or as an additional alternate session format tailored to the individual or group fitness class needs.
Well maintained equipment is a must for safe and productive training. Make sure your equipment is cleaned regularly with a disinfectant cleaner and is free of perspiration for each session. Immediately replace equipment when it becomes worn and is a potential for injury to the puncher or holder. For the first few sessions or classes participants should have the equipment made available to them. Once you decide that this is the program for you, you will want to buy properly designed gloves and pads for your own use to avoid using the same equipment as others for hygienic purposes. All the equipment is portable and relatively inexpensive. Good quality punch-kick pads and boxing gloves are approximately $80 to $100 a pair which is still far less expensive than purchasing equipment for most fitness based sports training programs.
So grab your wraps and gloves and “get ready to rumble” your way to a new level of fitness.
Ross O’Donnell, president of Fitness Kickboxing Canada Inc. author of, “The Ultimate Fitness Boxing & Kickboxing Workout” is a Can-Fit-Pro
PRO-Trainer, CASK Certified Competitive Boxing Coach & Instructor.
He can be contacted at 519-942-1625 or info@fitnesskickboxingcanada.ca
For further information please visit www.fitnesskickboxingcanada.ca