A few weeks ago we were surprised to see women old enough to be our mothers and grandmothers on Tv being taught basic boxing, to keep them fit and be able to protect themselves from the ever increasing sex predators! I cried. The world is coming to an end; why would anyone want to rape a woman old enough to be his grandmother?These grandmothers are takingthe training in their stride, despite the harsh reality of age factor. We saw them punching the bags with vigour, running and even jumping up and down during the exercise. Some of these women had never in their lifetime worn trousers, but circumstances now force them to wear trousers to enable them keep fit, so as to keep the predators at bay, oops what a life!Many people, especially women when we hear of boxing we think of punched up faces and bruises all over, you don’t even want to think of how you will look; but this is only possible if you want to take up boxing as a career and face the wrath of two queen bees -Laila Ali and Conjestina Achieng.Otherwise, boxing can be a great fitness activity for individuals who want to perform cardiovascular exercises but are beginning to get bored with more traditional aerobic activities such as running and cycling.In our part of the world, many women shun boxing leaving it as a reserved sport for men; but much like martial arts and cycling, for those who know the benefits of boxing, the benefits go beyond physical fitness. The same way cycling makes one fit and at the same time act as means of transportation, boxing too can provide a means of self- defense, when necessary. For example, one fitness site on the internet calculated that a person weighing 82 kgs will typically burn 243 calories after 30 minutes of simply punching that heavy bag.  And that same person could burn up to 500 calories in 30 minutes once they have trained enough to enter the boxing ring.For now, let us look at the extra benefits that boxing can do to help us stay fit and healthy:Stress relieverBoxing has been used as a stress reliever or as an outlet for pent-up anger and aggression by people undergoing anger management therapy. The continuous process of punching the bag has worked for many, it clears off your mind, helps you stay focused and in finding solutions to the problem disturbing you.Keep fitThe typical training session in boxing stimulates all muscle groups, and provides a great combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. This makes you develop a strong body, unshakable confidence and an increased level of self-esteem and achievement. Boxing can also come in handy when a time of defending yourself arises.Weight lossJust like any other sport, people who do boxing as a routine exercise are flexible, have a good base level of strength, and are agile. This therefore is an easy avenue to shed off some extra weight.Remember that when you are involved in any kind of sport like aerobics or boxing, eating a balanced diet meal is a must. Stay fit and healthy by punching that bag!