Boxing is one of the top sports around for helping you to keep fit both physically and mentally.
One of the best parts about boxing for physical fitness is that you can reap the benefits from the comfort of your own home - you don’t even necessarily need one single piece equipment.
Not only will a regular boxing-based workout give you strong arms and shoulders, the kind of moves involved will mean you are also guaranteed to increase your core strength and stability. Your general fitness levels will improve, plus you will become more coordinated in the process.
Here’s a boxing workout that will get you fighting fit in no time.
SKIPPING
Well, we said you do not need equipment and that is even true for ‘jumping rope’ – you can easily do it minus the rope by just pretending instead. This activity is the perfect way to get warmed up at the start of a workout. Three minutes of jumping will get the heart pumping and your muscles engaging. There are plenty of variations you can try aside from a two-footed up and down bounce, including the alternate-foot step, high knees, skier jumps, foot crosses or backward jumps. If you do want to invest in a skipping rope, check out the Bravose range, which starts from just £6.99.
SKIP TO IT: HOW SKIPPING CAN IMPROVE YOUR FITNESS AND SKILL IN THE BOXING RING
LUNGING PUNCH
The lunge is a move that will test your balance and bring a lot of muscle groups into play. Step forward with your right foot and bend your knee to lower your body until your right leg is bent at a 90-degree angle and your knee lightly connects with the floor. As you perform the lunge movement, punch straight ahead of you with your left hand. Drive your body back up to standing by pushing upwards through your right leg. Now repeat with your left leg and right hand. Complete ten reps on each side, 20 in total. You can hold a tin of beans in each hand to make this move even harder.
COMBAT BURPEE
A burpee is a killer all over body move that combines a press up with a squat jump, while the combat element involves adding a knockout punch into the mix. Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart, then squat down and place your hands on the floor. Kick your feet out behind you so you are in a press-up position. Lower yourself until your chest touches the floor before jumping your feet back in towards your hands. Drive yourself up into the air and land in a boxing stance, ready to throw ten punches on alternate arms. Repeat the whole move ten times.
PLANK WITH A PUNCH
There’s no better move for working your core than the plank, but it is an exercise that also engages many other muscles including shoulders, back and glutes. Start in a standard plank position with your feet hip-width apart and your elbows under your shoulders. Engage your abs, quads and glutes to ensure you are in a stable position. When you are ready, punch your right hand out to your right side at about shoulder height. Keep working your core to fight to maintain a perfect plank position while bringing your right hand back and then punching out with your left hand. Complete ten reps on each side.
Repeat these three exercises as many times as possible in 20 minutes. After each set of three, take one minute to rest. To cool down, complete two minutes of gentle skipping.
