“It’s a way of coping… it’s a way I can let go.” Analiza Garcia is a junior here at Sahuaro and has a love and passion for boxing. “I have been boxing since December of 2020.” Analiza started boxing as a way to stay active while at home all the time and eventually grew a great love for training. “It started out as a little hobby. I was at home all the time and needed something to distract myself from the craziness that life was bringing me. It felt like therapy… all my problems seemed to fade away more and more each time I hit the bag.”

Analiza grew to love boxing so much that she decided to start training at a gym. “I loved being able to box and train by myself at home, but I was eager for more. I wanted to learn more and train with people with more knowledge so that I could improve.” She started going to Boxing Incorporated 4 times a week to get in more training along with what she was doing at home every day. “Being able to attend a place with more of a boxing atmosphere gave me great confidence in my ability to improve and learn new techniques… I started out by just watching and observing others, then began to ask trainers for more help in understanding the sport.”

So what does a typical training session look like for Analiza? “I start with stretching and mobility exercises to get moving. I then proceed to start doing some light cardio to get my heart rate going and blood flowing. Then, as you start, you are given certain patterns for punching. My favorite pattern is left hook, right hook, uppercut. From there, I begin kickboxing. I kickbox for at least an hour each session. Finally, I cool off by taking a walk on the treadmill to relax my muscles.”

To maintain endurance while training, Analiza likes to train at the gym whenever she can. “My favorite thing to work on is core. I do work on certain muscle groups depending on what was done at boxing prior. Right now I am in the process of creating a workout split to conform to my boxing routine as well… I love being able to train more at the gym after a productive boxing session.”

When asked about what negative aspects come from boxing, Analiza replied, “When you first begin it is difficult getting used to being so active. Doing a lot of cardio and more training makes your body adapt to it with muscle memory. At first, I was discouraged because I didn’t feel like it was for me, but over time I grew an intense love and admiration for training.”

“Everyone has their own hobbies and interests that they are drawn to, but I am sure you would like boxing or kick boxing if you like to stay active… Boxing is my therapy.”