Boxing for SELF-CARE

Throwing punches and me-time, much like bacon and maple syrup, are things that shouldn’t work together, but do. At least, that’s what a new subscription video service is preaching...

One of the best and worst things about being an adult is that no one bollocks you for letting things slide. I’m talking about those boring, basic acts of looking after yourself – packing a healthy lunch, getting enough exercise, reading before bed. So long as your work gets done, family obligations are met and texts are replied to, you can live off packaged food and adrenaline and feel like you’ve got away with it. I did. I reasoned that as long as I was attending my weekly counselling sessions, I had permission to let the other stuff slip. That isn’t how it works, of course. When it comes to your mental and physical health, you get out what you put in. I needed an attitude reset, and in The Boxx Method’s video series Champion Me, I hoped I’d found it. The four-week programme is comprised of workouts alongside a regimented self-care schedule – think mindful walking and meditation. ‘The idea was born out of my own experience of not dedicating any time to self-care and the knock-on impact that had on my confidence,’ says co-founder Anna Samuels. The more she spoke to other women, the more she realised she wasn’t alone in being ‘on the brink of burnout’. The spectre of the B-word is incentive enough to crack on. I sign up and log in to find one shadow boxing session a week, plus HIIT and yoga. These are interspersed with other self-esteem-boosting activities, from going on a walk sans phone to a Sunday-night debrief with myself on the past week. The boxing instructor, PT Esmee Gummer, shouts things like ‘oi oi’ and addresses her invisible audience as ‘babes’, which helps offset the whole blush pink self-love vibe. When she tells me to exhale loudly while throwing a punch, I do – and I feel something. I dutifully build a wall of all the negative things I think about myself, then mentally tear it down. It’s ridiculous, yes, but it feels bloody great. ‘Boxing requires visualisation, focus and concentration,’ explains Samuels. ‘When you can’t think of anything else, you have no choice but to be in the moment, giving your mind a break from anything else going on.’ And it isn’t just about distraction. With each jab-cross-hook-hook-uppercut, I feel a swell of pride. So far, so textbook, according to Dr Peter Olusoga, a sports psychology lecturer from Sheffield Hallam University. ‘One of the main ways you develop selfesteem is via achievements, so getting through a challenging training session can be a fantastic confidence boost,’ he explains. ‘The other advantage of boxing over, say, running, is that you’re learning a skill, and developing feelings of competence in something new can help you maintain healthy self-esteem.’ I don’t enjoy the HIIT sessions – I never do – but the commando press-ups help me build my strength. The yoga is pleasant – though the minimal house soundtrack may irritate purists. As for the self-care stuff, sticking to every activity was hard, but having that structure in place helped. For me, the biggest surprise was how effective I found the affirmations to be. I stuck with the one I came across on the first day, ‘I make loving choices for my mind and body.’ I’d usually balk at this, and I didn’t believe it at the start, but I had the will – and the tools – to try. Champion Me provided a timely reminder of just how much different aspects of my wellbeing are connected. ‘Be the person in this workout that you want to be outside this room,’ says Gummer, as I breathlessly swing hooks at my furious, ruddy-faced reflection. A month ago, I’d have pressed mute. But it turns out something special happens when you mix endorphins with empowering talk. Or maybe, along with jabs and uppercuts, I’m just getting better at championing me.