by Deborah Rogers & Stephanie Staples | photos by Amanda Cribdon Photography –
“Less talking, more punching!” Loren raises his voice above the sound of huffing, puffing and shuffling, and I raise my fists to hit Stephanie again. No, I’m not mad that she’s taking over my “Day Out” column, we’re at a kickboxing class together!
Steph and I registered for Peninsula Crossfit’s Beginner Kickboxing class. It’s taught by coach Loren Fell, a third degree black belt in Karate, and Canadian kickboxing champion. If those credentials sound a little intimidating, or indeed the idea of taking a class at a Crossfit gym, be reassured, neither Steph nor I have ever tried this sort of class before, and the rest of the group was a friendly mix of ages and fitness levels too.
I’d made an assumption that the first class in a six-week course would be lots of listening and watching, but no: after a quick introduction, coach Loren had us warming up with skips and kicks and squats. I very quickly had a healthy sweat going (and was grateful for the excuse of “making notes” to keep stepping to the side to catch my breath). Starting with the most basic moves, we were coached to make a jab, keeping our weight in the right place and holding fists up to the face to protect from a counter jab. I’ll be honest here: I’ve never in my life had a reason to punch anyone. It didn’t feel like a natural movement to me, and I noticed several other class members getting tips and corrections on how to shape the fist and angle the arm correctly. Perhaps it was punching the air that felt strange, because before we knew it we were paired up and punching each other, and then the movement started to feel natural.
I should clarify: we were punching each other’s open palms, and then, just lightly making contact. As the classes progress there will be gloves and pads to allow jabs with more force, but to start these light movements, repeated over and over again, were plenty of exercise.
I was hot, and out of breath, but I was really having fun! Working with a partner means you take it in turns, and you have someone to laugh with when you get it wrong or roll your eyes with when Loren says you have to add a push-up in between each punch/jab combo!
OK, it’s Steph here: as I write part two of this column, I can barely move. My arms hurt, my legs hurt, my chest hurts, my arse hurts and no joke, my abs hurt. I’m just lucky my fingers are OK to type!
Am I sore from a two-hour hike up Mt. Prevost with 20 lbs on my back? No. Am I sore from a 25 km hilly bike ride? No. I am sore from air punching Deb.
All this to say, if you are looking for an activity on the Peninsula that gives a whole body workout, kickboxing is much more accessible than cross country skiing! As an added bonus, it is a great way to get out your frustrations – if you had a tough day you might enter the class angry but you won’t leave the same way.
It was interesting to note the number of parent/child teams that there were; what a cool experience to share with your kid, partner, bestie … or someone you are taking a column over from.
Lisa, our co-instructor, mentioned kickboxing is a very functional fitness activity that encourages whole body movements and awareness. That is, it promotes moving our bodies as we need to for our activities of daily living like: bending down to pick things up and reaching up high to put things away, and have core stability to decrease the likelihood of falling. Lisa also said kickboxing works the mind/body connection and has an aspect of empowerment; who wouldn’t want that?
If you’ve haven’t set foot in Peninsula Crossfit yet, I’d encourage you to take a peek. It’s a little raw and hard-core in appearance; if you are looking for an activity with pink walls and potted plants in the corner, this isn’t it. Having said that, it is the skilled, well-trained instructors that break things down into small, manageable learning chunks. As with all activities, it is up to the individual to work at their own pace and to, as we say on the motorcycle, “ride your own ride.” I didn’t take my own advice until class number two and that really helped lessen the soreness!
Why try kickboxing? You can fight (literally) with someone you care about, have a great workout, learn something new, meet nice people and have fun.
And may I just say I am not a fan of whoever invented burpees!
