Learning challenge s23w2: Love your Body - Shadow boxing and arm circle exercises

Hello everyone, welcome to week 2 of this fitness learning challenge. I am so excited to see a good number of entries in the last week's learning challenge and it is a thing of joy to know that a lot of users are beginning to love their body and to gift themselves good health through exercises. What better gift can you possibly gift yourself that can benefit you through out your life time!

I want to encourage everyone to please, pay attention to their health by always being consistent with their exercises.

It is another week and another great opportunity to show your love for yourself. This week promises to be interesting and appetising. We will focus on just 2 programs even though you are nut limited to them alone.

Our arms are often neglected whereas, they are very important in our every day life. We make use of the arms daily, thus strengthening them will be worth it.

My teammate and I have carefully selected these 2 programs that will interest both beginners, intermediate and advanced fitness lovers. They are shadow boxing and arm circle. What then is shadow boxing and arm circle, which muscles groups are going to be strengthened while engaging in these programs and how do they impact our wellbeing? Seat back and read to learn, and then practice them for better results.

The Arm circle And How To Perform it

The arm circle is a simple, but powerful cardiovascular exercise that tones arms, shoulders, back and chest and only requires body weight.

Standing with the legs shoulder-width apart, the arms are stretched next to the body, in the form of a cross, small circles are started, both forward and backward, then switching to larger circles, keeping in mind that the movements should be slow for greater benefit.
One of the advantages is that it can be done anywhere.

Shadow boxing and How to Perform it

Shadow boxing is a practice where an imaginary fight takes place, since there is no opponent, the idea is to give punches in the air, combining the movements of the feet with the punches of the arms.
It is an excellent cardiovascular exercise that, in addition to helping to tone up, improves concentration and coordination and is a lot of fun.

Arm circle and shadow boxing are an excellent combination of cardiovascular exercises, the only requirement of which is to have a body and the willingness to exercise it.

The Muscle groups that are strengthened during shadow boxing and arm circle exercises

Combining Shadow boxing and arm circle exercises strengthen the upper body muscles and help to enhance and control them. The upper muscles includes the shoulders. Shadow boxing helps to strengthen and improve the endurance of the shoulder muscles especially the deltoids.

Another muscle groups are the arms. We have the Biceps and the Triceps which helps in throwing punches, and helps to maintain guard positions. The coordinations and the strength of the muscles are improved during punching.

The chest contains other muscle groups that are strengthened during punches shadow punching works the pectoral muscles and helps to contribute to upper body strength.

The core houses the rectus abdominal, obliques and the lower back muscles which helps with the stabilisation of the torso during fast movements like the punching, helping to generate much power and balance.

Arm circle builds strength in the shoulders and targets the Rotator cuff muscles and Deltoids. The rotation gives these muscles the stability, the mobility and strength it needs.

With these 2 exercise programs, it gives the upper body a comprehensive strength building routine, helping the body to reduce the risk of injury

Students Task

For this week 2, students are expected to carry out the following programs

• Carry out shadow punching or boxing on the 3 sides of the body: up, down and sides. The target for the week is 100 punches on each sides. Please spread these throughout the week.

• Then, do a video, showing your punches as follows:

Forward, sides and upwards	40 punches on each sides	Rest for 10 seconds	Repeat the number on each sides without editing the video

• Carry out arm circle both clockwise and anticlockwise

Clockwise and anticlockwise	40 circles each	rest for 10 seconds	repeat same without editing the video.

Note that you are to do these programs slowly for better results

You can join the 2 videos before uploading so that you won't upload short videos

• At the end of the program, what is the overall feelings and where did you feel the pains the most?

• Do you think shadow boxing and arm circle are good for you and will you recommend it for others?

I have recorded a video as a sample to help you see what it means to punch and do arm circle. But carefully for the instructions above to record your own video