The Workout that Changed the Game

When I first started working out, I was the definition of a girly girl. I would take a barre class for strength training and incorporate some spin classes for cardio. In my mind, I was seeing results, so there was no reason to switch up my routine. Like anything else, you end up getting bored and hit a plateau. Well, boredom got the best of me and I finally gave in and decided it was time to spice up my routine.

At that point, I wanted to try it all! If you’re like me, you have those workouts that intimidate you, workouts that you’re afraid to try alone and you always need a friend basically attached to your hip so that you feel comfortable. Can you relate? I don’t know about you, but accommodating someone else’s schedule is stressful. I finally gave in and started trying everything the fitness world had to offer on my own.

At that point, boxing was basically screaming my name. It just seemed like a workout that was so challenging and fun, I had to give it a try. It also didn’t hurt that the first class was free. Who doesn’t love a free workout? So I signed up for my first class. It was a 45-minute boxing class that included 7 minutes of warm-up, 8 rounds of boxing, and 7 minutes of core. Sounds like a full body workout, right? That’s an understatement.

The warm-up consisted of jumping jacks, burpees, squats, lunges—basically, everything you need to get that heart pumping. I then heard a loud bell and knew it was game time. The instructor started off slowly with some light choreography and slowly built it up as the rounds went on. She started with some simple jab, cross, hooks. She threw in some uppercuts. She even yelled out “FREESTYLE” (yes, caps are necessary) randomly and we were told to do whatever we wanted. Well, I went to town. I just started doing some simple choreography so I could concentrate more on hitting the bag with strength. It was exhilarating. It was just me and the bag. I’d never felt so free during a workout.

So let’s talk post workout. I’m sure you’re all wondering if I was sore. Well, that’s an understatement. My whole body was aching in the best way possible. My shoulders were so sore, I could barely lift them up for more than a few seconds. I don’t know about you, but my forearms are never sore from a workout. Well, never say never. The best part? The workout was so exhilarating, I didn’t even notice my arms being worked out so much. I would also like to note my proudest moment of the class, leaving with red knuckles. I pushed my limits and loved every second of it.

It wasn’t the soreness that had me crawling back for more, although there is nothing more motivating than seeing results from a workout. The amount of stress relief I felt after just one boxing class was invigorating. Life gets stressful, am I right? Sometimes it’s hard to just chill out. We all need some TLC. I’ll never forget the feeling of the stress lifting off me. That’s enough to bring me back for more.

From now on, I’ll be the girly girl perfecting my left hook and pushing past my physical limits.

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