As a sport bare knuckle fighting has been around for thousands of years originally arising in parts of Africa before spreading to Europe. It was the ancient Greeks who made fighting more popular through making it a part of the Olympic Games in 688BC. The first documented “boxing match” took place in 1681 in Britain when the Duke of Albemarle arranged a fight between his butler and his butcher (hardly a championship bout!). The most revolutionary change in boxing came about in 1865 when the Eighth  Marquess of Queensbury (John Sholto Douglass) drew up some new rules and regulations for the sport that are still in operation today and are also known as The Queensbury Rules.
 
The first impression many people have with the sport today is of getting into a ring with the intention of pummelling your opponent before he does any harm to you! In reality, boxing is not so one-dimensional and is considered by many as a valid artform. Although some people who take up this sport with the intention of going professional, there are also a growing number of people who engage in amature boxing and those who take up the sport for the all-round body toning and conditioning.


 
Nowadays boxing has diversified and is no longer confined to mens boxing but also includes boxing for kids and womens boxing (which will be bought further into the mainstream when womens’ boxing is introduced into the 2012 Olympics for the first time). With the sport becoming more diversified so has Everlast equipment such as the pink boxing gloves they sell for women!

The health benefits of boxing are varied and many. First and foremost, the cardio strength and endurance that participants will receive within a short space of time of commencing are immediately noticeable. In addition to these physical benefits, boxing exercise (also known as boxercise) also teaches techniques, boxing tips, boxing combinations and punches that can help you out with self defence should you ever need to use your newly acquired skills.
 
Many of the routines you do while training are jump rope, stretching, jogging, shadow boxing, offensive and defensive techniques. Some of these like the heavy bag workout are unique to the sport. All of them tone your body and strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system. As some of these routines are completely different from your typical cardio routine, they can be more fun as it is something new and fresh and you acquire a totally unique skillset by participating in it.

Should you wish to do boxing exercise in the comfort of your own home you could even do that through purchasing an Everlast heavy bag and Everlast boxing gloves (or simple punching bag gloves). Get someone to move about the bag once you’ve become acquainted with it and work on your hand-eye coordination, speed and boxing combinations. You’ll feel fit and toned in next to no time!