I have never really been one for New Year’s resolutions simply because, let’s face it. How many of us actually keep to them and stay on track? What I did know for sure though as we went into 2018 is that I needed to kick it up a notch or two with the overall fitness.
As a single mother to a very active little boy, it can be quite hard to make time for going to the gym or catching the popular pilates class at my local studio. I have learned to really utilize my time effectively and that’s why I decided to try out the Boxx Method’s new ‘Champion Me’- Self Belief plan.
What is Boxx I hear you asking? Boxx is an online streaming service that allows you to workout from anywhere in the world via their website or app. They have quite a selection of workout with a focus on boxing (hence the name). From HIIT, Cardio, strength and yoga, there is definitely something for everyone.
I love the fact that a lot of their workouts require little to no equipment at all, so for me this means that I can squeeze in a quick workout in my living room after I drop off the little one at school, or in my compact hotel room when travelling on business.
Boxx Champion Me
This particular program had my name written all over it, even though I was slightly skeptical going in. So the Boxx Champion Me Self Belief Plan, is not just about getting fit. It is a mind and body wellbeing program that is designed to work on you from the inside out.
Getting started on the 4 week program meant I had to download my champion me weekly overview planner with all my workouts and tasks laid out for me to follow as I go. There was also affirmations that I had to choose from each morning, read out loud with enthusiasm and repeat to myself for at least 3 minutes. Last but not least in my list of downloadabes, was the Inner Champion worksheet. Now this one seemed like fun, it was for writing what your inner champion would tell you do in times of doubt.
So here I was armed with all my PDF printouts, a little sceptism and a willingness to give this a go anyway. The entire program focuses on 6 main components: Walk – 15 minutes without any audio or technology interferences, Meditate, Self Care, Reflect, Digital detox and affirmations.
As this is a 4 week program and I wanted to dive all in, I’ve broken it down into a week by week rundown.
The Structure
My week was setup in a very easy to follow no frills way about it, which I really appreciated. Everyday was broken down for me so I didn’t have to second guess myself and could plan ahead so as to fit in that day’s activity.
Here’s what a typical Boxx Champion Me week looked like:
Day 1 – complete a 15 min boxing video
Day 2 – go for a 15 min walk
Day 3 – complete a 15 min strength video
Day 4 – complete 10/15 min meditation
Day 5 – complete 15 min weekly yoga video
Day 6 – spend 15+ mins completing a self care activity
Day 7 – spend 15 mins reflecting
As you can see, 15 minutes a day is really all you need apparently. Although I was happy it was a short amount of time, I was dubious as to how effective this would be in the long run.
One thing that I didn’t do at the beginning of this program was weigh myself, as I feel that can be a slippery slope sometimes as we all can get bogged down on the number on the scale. I wanted to let my body do its own thing and I knew I would notice if this was working by how I felt and also how my clothes fit.
Week 1
Day 1 started with a 15 minute boxing workout with the lovely Esmee Gunner. I immediately knew I had underestimated this workout 5 minutes into it. Esmee managed to fit in a warmup, a sweat inducing workout and a cool down all with a bit of banter and light hearted humour. She explained the moves very clearly so that there was little room to injure yourself as can sometimes be the case in boxing.
I was so happy to get to that cool down at the end. I love that she gave variations for all levels, so you could add intensity if you were looking for more of a challenge. Throughout the video you are reminded that you are powerful and you can do anything you set you mind to. Esmee really helped me dig deep at those points where I felt exhaustion setting in and wanted to give up.
I definitely felt the delayed onset muscle soreness the next couple days as I cold barely lift my arms, ouch.
By the time we got to Day 3’s strength training with Kim Ngo, I knew it was going to be short but I was going to feel it for sure. She uses the 45 seconds on and 15 seconds of rest structure.
This time around there was a lot of lunges, planks, push-ups and tricep dips. I really liked that there was no repetition so I didn’t get bored at all.
I can’t tell you how happy I was that Day 5 was a nice yoga sequence with Helen Faliveno.
By the end of week 1 I was sore all over, there was not a single muscle that didn’t ache. I invested in some Epsom bath salts and vowed to tackle week 2 with gusto.
Week 2
Beginning of week 2 and this time I know exactly what to expect. I kind of enjoyed the boxing workout with Esmee to my own surprise. I got through the week relatively well and I looked forward to taking my walk and switching from technology and the world for a little bit. As I was still very sore from the workouts, I decided to treat myself to a massage for my self care. I was surprised at how good it felt to do something for myself. I felt so grounded and connected which is an experience I haven’t had in a very long time. It’s crazy how we never actually take some time out for ourselves and when we do we are wracked with unnecessary guilt.
Week 3
Ok something is different here but I can’t quite put my finger on it. I was talking to my boyfriend today and I mentioned this to his baffled face that looked back at me with zero comprehension. I’ve ben getting out of bed without having to hit the snooze button 20 times, I feel so calm and just ‘happy’ for no reason. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not jumping on a couch Tom Cruise-style-happy. I just feel this sense of ease and connection which is really nice.
Do you wanna hear something else that’s changed? I actually look forward to my workouts. I’m the one pushing hard along with Esmee on the boxing video. Who am I? I love that the intensity has been slowing building up over the weeks that I hardly noticed my own stamina growing as well. It’s safe to say that the boxing definitely gives you that full body/cardio workout. We’re onto the 3rd week and I still feel these DOMS the next day. Kim killed me with those plank walks, my abs were burning by the end of that 45 secs. The highlight of my day today is that I managed to hold a plank for a full minute. I’ve never been so proud of myself.
Helen always seems to manage to get me feeling super grounded during the yoga. Her voice is so soothing and she creates this beautiful space for you to show up as you are, no judgement, no competition, just yoga.
Week 4
First of all, I am shocked that I made this far if I’m completely honest with you. This week’s boxing workout was so rightly named self belief. The past 4 weeks have been challenging to say the least but I pushed through. The boxing had my arms and shoulders screaming out for help. Kim had my legs and abs burning like crazy and Helen’s yoga though very grounding still challenged my balancing act. I have really been enjoying my weekly walks in nature. Taking some time out to switch off, unwind and give myself some tlc.
The Results
I kind of cringe at the word ‘results’ because this would be the point where I talk about how much weight I lost and all that jazz. As I mentioned before, I did not weigh myself at the beginning of this series, in fact I haven’t weighed myself in years.
I did however notice my body was overall more toned than it was when I started. I definitely lost inches off my waist, thighs and hips as I easily fit into some of my clothes that had been feeling a bit more than snug.
Size aside, I have a lot more energy lately and that’s definitely the biggest difference I’ve noticed. I am also very grounded in a way that I didn’t think was possible. I feel so much gratitude for the small things and I think this series helped me connect with that feeling. I realized that there is so much more to appreciate in life when we stop and take stock. The simple activities of taking weekly walks, doing positive affirmations and meditating, helped feel a greater sense of connection.
These are exercises that I aim to keep up with going forth because they don’t take much time at all, but they have contributed to my physical and mental wellbeing in such a positive way.
More info:
How much? Prices start from £6.67 a month with annual, 3 month and monthly plans available.
Where is it? The Boxx Champion Me program is available online at www.theboxxmethod.com or via the Boxx method app for iOS
Love boxing? So do we! We also tried out a boxing class at Fitness Mosaic and IBXT at boxing specialist gym, Moreno Boxing in Dalston.
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