Shadowboxing – the practice of throwing punches without an opponent or bag. Often using boxing gloves or small weights. This allows you to focus on form, technique and proper movements while building muscle memory.

Shadowboxing has many benefits even if you never intend to fight anyone in your life. First of all, it is the best cardio ever! It has shown to reduce weight and body fat . It gets your heart rate up,, is a great stress reliever. You can use it to get out pent up frustration or anger or just clear your mind. In several studies published in JAMA , shadowboxing also gives you strength and mobility. It helps you build stamina and make you more agile.

It has shown that Shadowboxing burns about 260 calories in 30 minutes! It strengthens your shoulders, biceps and triceps, through repetitive and fast muscle contractions. It also helps improve your balance and is great for warmup and cooldown to any other workout you decide to do.

You can shadowbox every day, with or without gloves or weights. It gets your body moving and balancing. A great way to shadowbox is to you favorite tunes or some fast music that prompts you to move. It is in the moving and using arms that is the secret to stronger and shapelier arms and legs.

Finally, my favorite part of shadowboxing is that it helps you escape! It provides you with a way to escape reality and a break from your routine, even for just a little while because when you box, you really can’t think about anything else!