Fighting for love

Meaghan Marton and Ricardo Rodriguez show off their fighting stance at Border City Boxing Club on February 8, 2016 Photo By Michelle Laramie

 

By Michelle Laramie

A Windsor couple is putting on boxing gloves to help make their Valentine’s Day unique by throwing a couple of punches at each other.

Exercise is supposed to make us happier and feeling happy is what most of us want from our partners- so why not combine the two?  Science shows exercise releases dopamine, a chemical messenger that tells us when to feel happy.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that makes it possible for us to feel pleasure and happiness.

This Valentine’s Day busy couples are looking for interesting ways to celebrate.  Meaghan Marton, a coach at Border City Boxing Club, needed a creative way to spend time with her partner Ricardo Rodriguez who is a competitive boxer.

“My boyfriend is working all day on Valentine’s Day and I wanted something fun and different,” said Marton.  “So often you’re just going to sit at home and hang out or go for dinner.  Working out promotes strength between each other.”

Marton decided to host an early afternoon boxing class for couples to promote fitness and bonding.

“I thought it was a great idea to get people active instead of just eating chocolates,“  said Marton.  “I think it’s a great way to relieve stress and bond at the same time.”

Marton says that couples should not be intimidated by the thought of trying it out.

“The class will be boxing basics, you are not actually going to get in the ring and hit each other,” she said.

The class will contain more of the cardio aspect of boxing, strength conditioning and hitting the heavy bag.  Marton said it will be an all-around workout for your body.

She credits boxing with her partner for strengthening her relationship.

“Working out together promotes strength, confidence and trust in each other,” said Marton.  “It can help your relationship because you are building each other up.  You also have a support system there when you are having a difficult time.”

Border City Boxing Club has a very open door policy according to Marton.

“I encourage people to step out of their comfort zone and come into the club just once, just give it a try,” said Marton.  “Our gym is totally non-judgmental. We have people from all ages, sizes, fitness levels.  You don’t need to be fit to try.  Boxing will naturally make you fit.”

Some professionals believe couples who work out together can become healthier and create a stronger bond between them.

Shane Allen a certified personal trainer says couples who exercise together are stronger.

“Some of the strongest relationships I see are those people who exercise together,” said Allen in an article on ActiveTimes.com.  “Common goals and shared routines are what helps make a relationship and our bodies stronger.”

Troy Robinson began working out 16 years ago to help with his aggression issues. Robinson and his longtime girlfriend Nadine Tilly have recently started working out together in an effort to become healthier and have gained a better bond in the process.

“It has improved our relationship greatly because we are bonding and showing an interest in each other’s success,” said Robinson.  “I feel closer to her.  It shows me she cares because she is showing interest in what I am doing and sharing that time with me.”

Tilly, however, does not naturally enjoy working out and only agreed to do it because it helps her show support for Robinson.  She said in the end it has strengthened both her relationship and her health.

Relationship expert Michelle Weglarz, 36, says the benefits of couples working out together are both physical health and stress reduction.

“Most people have stress in their lives and it’s always a health benefit to work out,” said Welgarz.  “If you work out together it would reduce stress in your relationship as well.  When you exercise the happy chemicals in your brain are being released and accessed.  So people who exercise are happier people in general.”

Weglarz cautions that sometimes people have different fitness goals and to remember to be supportive.

“Make sure to let your partner go at their own pace,” said WEglarz.   “If you can plan a routine together great, but if not don’t add pressure and create a stressful situation. Be supportive and encouraging of each other’s goals.”

Working out can be a great benefit in relationships, reducing stress and creating a stronger bond.

The Valentine’s Day special at The Border City Boxing Club runs for an hour and a half beginning at 11 a.m. The Cost is $15 for each couple.  The club holds about 30 people.