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Ka-pow!

Red hot boxer!

C’mon sock it to her. Punch, jab, pummel. Throw that uppercut!

Do it. For the sake of your bod; for the sake of your brain. Feel the ecstasy of the well-aimed hook; feel the energy surge.

Do it. You’ll feel smarter, stronger, happier! Your IQ will soar into the stratosphere!
Batwoman, Wonderwoman, Supergirl, move over!

Sexy, Brainy Boxing

Those women are slugging it out again at a martial arts gym, at a place called Austin Boxing Babes. They’re sweating it out in pairs. The one wearing boxing gloves targets the woman holding up two thick-padded mitts.

More women, it seems are taking up sparring for the sake of fitness, not for the fight. Many don’t even enter the ring. But they work out hard. They do calisthenics, jump rope, punching combos, footwork. You better believe it; it’s intense.
Intense Exercise Equals Intense Joy

And ohhh, does it ever feel good! The boxing training is a dynamo when it comes to releasing endorphins. It gives the students energy; helps keep their brain chemistry healthy. Even more so, say, than aerobics or Pilates.

That’s not hard to understand. If you’re in relatively good physical condition, and it’s been a while since you’ve done rigorous workouts, you ought to try it. You’re in for a treat. (Only after getting yourself checked out by a doctor, of course. You know what they say. He or she may be fat and out of shape but you’ve gotta have that doctor approval first before you embark on that exercise program.)

Stretching, yoga, Pilates, weight lifting…these are all great ways to condition yourself physically. They should be a part of your regular exercise regimen. For an added “oomph” though, nothing beats focused, intense, cardiovascular workouts like boxing. Even more true if you tend to get depressed, suffer from brain fog, or have trouble concentrating.

Martial Arts Can Feel so Darn Good

I know, because I’ve tried just about everything in terms of exercise and discovered that, as daunting as it may seem, there’s nothing that releases those feel-good brain chemicals, that makes me feel strong, powerful—and yes, brainy—than martial arts-type training. The feeling is just out of the world. (Shhh, don’t tell: if they knew just how darn good it feels, they’d make it illegal.)

It’s more than just physical fitness; it’s brain fitness as well. The feeling of confidence you get from getting a strong, well-functioning body spills over into the rest of your life. That confidence is a brain booster as well.

Red hot mama! -- I mean lava...

Oh, and back to those boxing babes. Most say they’re boxing for physical fitness and not for competition. And you know what? That shows just how smart they are. They’re wise not to get into the ring. Exercise is good for the brain; getting hit repeatedly on the head is not. Professional boxers often suffer from brain injury from receiving all those blows to their head.
Don’t Punch Out Your Brain!

So, if you’re boxing for the benefit of your brain, getting punched defeats the purpose. You can have sparring matches if strict rules are enforced to absolutely never target the head area.

All right, ladies—and gentlemen—I’ve thrown the gauntlet.

Are you ready for the challenge?

Your brain will thank you.

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Tags: babe, boxer, boxing training, brain booster, brainy, martial arts, raise IQ

This entry was posted on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 at 10:53 am and is filed under Brain Health and Fitness, The Lighter Side, What's News with the Brain. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.