I never did combat sports growing up. I was always more into football and golf, sports that felt structured, familiar, and relatively controlled. Starting boxing in my late 20s wasn’t something I planned as part of any “self-development journey.” I had become a bit fed up with the gym routine, push, pull, legs, repeat and felt my motivation and progress plateauing.
That’s what led me to Blood Fitness and my first boxing classes.
Learning Something New: A Reminder of What Rehab Can Feel Like
From the first session, I felt something I hadn’t experienced in a sporting environment for a long time: apprehension. I didn’t know anyone, I had very little experience, and everyone around me looked like they knew exactly what they were doing. Emotionally, I felt out of my depth.
Physically, it wasn’t overwhelming in terms of fitness, but the footwork and coordination demanded a level of precision I wasn’t used to. That disconnect between thinking you’re reasonably capable and realising you’re a beginner again was humbling.
I found myself comparing to others and getting frustrated, but at the same time, I stayed in “learn mode.” I started observing more closely, trying to understand what others were doing and how I could replicate it.
Building Confidence Through Patience and Observation
Over time, the most important shift wasn’t physical; it was mental. I developed a better ability to stay calm when I wasn’t performing well and to step back and analyse rather than react emotionally.
That skill has carried over directly into clinical practice.
It made me more aware that many patients are experiencing something completely new when they walk into a clinic or a gym. I might take movement patterns or exercise environments for granted, but for them, it can be unfamiliar and intimidating. That has reinforced the importance of clear demonstrations, simple instructions, and encouragement early in the process.
How Boxing Improved My Approach to Exercise Rehabilitation
Depending on the patient, my approach now varies more deliberately. For those who have never been in a gym or structured exercise environment, I take more time to build foundational movement patterns before progressing.
Clear instructions and setting expectations have become more important than ever, not just for the clinic session, but for what patients take away and do at home. I also find myself being more proactive in explaining that some soreness or discomfort can be a normal response, and that we always have a plan moving forward.
In that sense, being a beginner in boxing has made me more patient-centred in how I introduce patients to exercise and rehabilitation.
The Parallels Between Boxing and the Rehab Journey
There are clear parallels between boxing and clinical work. Every session in boxing has a plan, but that plan can change depending on what happens in front of you. The same applies in rehabilitation; patient response, emotion, confidence, and progress all shape what comes next.
One of the biggest takeaways for me has been that discomfort is often part of adaptation. In sparring, for example, my first experience ended with a bloody nose, exhaustion, and being completely out of my depth, but it was also satisfying. It reinforced that growth often sits just outside of comfort.
It’s easy to avoid difficult things, whether that’s throwing a punch back or progressing an exercise in rehab. But avoiding those moments limits progress.
Why the Rehab Journey Isn’t Linear
If there’s one idea boxing has reinforced for me clinically, it’s this:
You never really know what a rehab journey is going to look like physically, emotionally, or personally. That’s why it’s so important for patients to stay engaged, follow guidance, and communicate anything relevant along the way so we can adapt together.
Rehab isn’t linear. Neither is learning a new sport. Both require patience, honesty, and a willingness to stay in the process even when it’s uncomfortable.
