I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but I have a pretty mean jab.
I'm not saying I could go all Chuck Norris on anybody in a fight (don't try me, though), but weekly kickboxing classes have made a sistah feel pretty confident.
Still, I've always wanted to have a go at real boxing. I didn't see myself going around a ring practicing my footwork, bobbing and weaving and all of that jazz, but I did want to have a go at a punching bag. So how does a gal like me get into boxing when I'm such a novice to it all? The trick is to ease into it while still going hard, and the new workout <a href="https://www.boxandflow.com/" target="_blank">Box + Flow</a> helps you do just that.
<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Box-Flow.jpg" alt="Box + Flow " width="1068" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-783813" />
I checked out a class earlier this week in downtown New York's NOHO neighborhood where the small Box + Flow studio stands on a quiet cobblestone street. On the stairs leading up to the space are inspiring words meant to get you motivated, and you once you enter, it's time to get down to business. On the ground lay multiple yoga mats, while against a wall hang a bevvy of heavy Everlast punching bags. On the wall reads more encouraging messages, including "Flow thru the fight" and "Fight thru the flow." After removing your shoes and socks, you're given a pair of wraps and boxing gloves, and before you know it, it's on.
Within the hour-long class, we practiced shadowboxing to begin. Soon after, we landed a flurry of punches on the bags, and after a rough commute, I was more than happy to pretend I was Muhammad Ali for a little while to unload my aggression. But little did I know that being asked to land hard punches for 30 seconds, as well as fast ones and even teaming up with partners would leave me drenched me in sweat so soon. It took no time for my heart rate to jump and for me to feel like I was overexerting myself, but that's where the flow part comes in.
<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Box-Flow-2.jpg" alt="" width="1068" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-783814" />
After 30 minutes of going hard on the bag, you eventually get down on the floor and change your focus to yoga. You literally move into a whole host of poses, including downward dog, child's pose, boat, bow and other Ashtanga essentials in an effort to cool the body down and relax yourself. The contrast between intense cardio mixed with yoga, which helps you to gain strength and tone, is a dream come true for fitness enthusiasts. Not to mention the music contrasts is also pretty awesome. One minute you hear Rick Ross while going at the bag, and the next you're listening to folks singing over acoustic guitar in the wheel pose. It's everything you never knew your mind and body needed.
But the best part of the entire class is the support you get from not just the instructor, but from other participants. At one point I was told "You killed that!" after doing the absolute most on a punching bag, and found myself feeling very special after the instructor gave me a mini shoulder massage as I came down from a plank into chaturanga. Talk about perks!
<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Box-Flow-1.jpg" alt="Box + Flow" width="1068" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-783815" />
If you're interested in trying your hand at this one-of-a-kind workout, a single class goes for $33. There is a <a href="https://boxandflow.zingfitstudio.com/reserve/index.cfm?action=Reserve.viewSeries" target="_blank">one-class intro deal for $20</a>, a three-class intro deal available for $84 and a five-pack for $145. There are even options where you can rent the space and do private sessions if you're really trying to train to get your Laila Ali on. Packages include a pretty sweet "Box + Flow" tank if it takes a T-shirt to sway you.
All in all, the hour-long class is worth a shot, especially if you want to diversify your workouts in unique ways.
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