Gigi Hadid. Cara Delevigne. Shay Mitchell. All of these fit celebrities swear by boxing and say that boxing has gotten them into the best shape of their lives. Although boxing has been around for ages, I usually thought of professional boxers in rings pinning each other down when I thought about it. Last year, however, I started to box once a week at Romney Studios and I fell in love with the workout. Not only is it fun and enjoyable, but I genuinely feel like I am getting in better shape when I do it, and I love feeling strong.
Boxing has a ton of benefits for your body. It is an intense cardio workout that makes you sweat like crazy, burning calories quickly. It engages both your upper and lower body: arms, abs, legs, and everything in-between. It also helps you focus because you must pay attention to the combinations and each punch that you throw.
Santiago, the boxing instructor at the ever-popular Romney Studios on Magazine Street, is an amazing coach who helps you improve your technique while also making you work hard. His classes teach you different boxing combinations with techniques while integrating squats, push-ups, and other HIT exercises in-between. You will never leave Santiago’s class disappointed. Santiago also teaches at the New Orleans Boxing Club, another place to practice your boxing skills.
I also recently tried KICK Nola, on Freret Street, which teaches both regular and kickboxing classes. I reached out to them about a student deal and they explained to me that for $99 a month, Tulane students will be able to take unlimited classes! Their classes are different from Romney boxing because you use your legs to throw kicks, engaging your entire body in each combination.
This workout is challenging, fun, and pushes you to work harder with every punch.So, next time that you are bored with your fitness routine and want to switch things up, try boxing!
COVER PHOTO: Beyond Boxing
