Boxing is an intimidating sport, and people who are good at it are even more daunting. Just think of all the past and present famous boxers and how robust they are: Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Those guys are tough as nails. All of these men have the mental stability and physical stamina that it takes to really let ‘er rip. The kind of mentality behind boxing is special.

Before I started boxing, I was in the worst shape and I wasn’t confident in myself. I had gone through a tough year and gained a lot of weight, and it was making me feel depressed, so I decided to do something about it. Now that I have been a member for nine months, I feel like I can defend myself, I have endless energy, and I can feel myself getting stronger.

The classes are one hour each and they vary between boxing and kickboxing. Each class has 15 minutes of warm-up, 30 minutes of boxing, and 15 minutes of abs.

Alyssa is my favorite trainer at Title Boxing Club in Fort Collins. She’s tough, fun; and she’ll call you out if you aren’t pushing yourself. Alyssa explained the mentality of boxing as, “It’s not really not hitting someone else in that ring, it’s really against yourself. You have to push past that next round, past that burnout, past that hit you just took. You really have to work against yourself.”

I try to keep that kind of mentality while I’m working out. The only way I am going to get better is if I try to do one more kick, one more punch and one more second of a plank. I do have those days when I want to throw in the towel and call it a day. Then, I think about what it would be like to be in the ring; you can’t have a bad day when defending yourself against an opponent.

If you are scared about trying boxing, don’t be; everyone has to start somewhere. Alyssa got her start 14 years ago in mixed martial arts because she saw the movie “Enough” starring Jennifer Lopez. Alyssa said, “I saw the movie and decided that I would never let a man put his hands on me and live to tell about it.”

Title Boxing Club is a community of men and women of all ages who are working towards a goal. I love boxing because someone always talks to me and remembers my name. We all focus in on the rounds, and laugh together in pain while we do 15 minutes of abs at the end. Title Boxing Club is friendly, fun and challenging. The club also holds contests and events for every member and makes each class exciting. If you need to switch up your workout and find a community of badass people, try it out. Remember to keep moving, stay on your toes and push yourself.

Collegian Blogger Kelli Jones can be reached online at entertainment@collegian.com. Leave a comment and come back for more health and fitness posts.