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Just finished running my first international boxing and stress management workshop in Sweden
The night before the workshop I barely slept. Although in general I’m much more relaxed these days, doing something new still brings up familiar feelings of self doubt.
Will I be good enough?
Will people like it?
Do I know my stuff, will I remember what I want to teach?

I haven’t been doing this stuff long enough to be 100% confident in what I’m doing. Of course the solution to building confidence is finding ways to practice the skill. For me that means delivering more workshops until I can do it with my eyes closed!

At the end of a workshop I like to ask people what was their biggest learning?
For me it was remembering the power of balance

As a boxer, without balance we have no power in our punches. When we are off balance we are weak and vulnerable to attack

Life is exactly the same. Without balance we become reactive, stressed out and burned out

Most of us are so out of the habit of living with balance. We are conditioned to go faster, work harder, fit more stuff into our already overpacked lives

In order to beat stress and feel happier and more fulfilled, we need to practice balance and taking time for ourselves
Time to slow down
To learn to relax
To just breathe

Time to do things just for fun (ask yourself when was the last time you did something just for fun?)
Some of us find relaxation difficult. I know I used to. I used to find it agonising to still for 5 mins without looking at my phone! Again we’ve conditioned ourselves to live in fight of flight more

Boxing is a great way to start to change your brain set. Start by punching out the stress, then it becomes easier to slow down and reset yourself

Balance makes you stronger – def a skill worth practising me thinks :)

This weekend I was teaching a lovely group of people how to get really clear on their goals for 2017 and then create a plan of action to make it happen

I talked a lot about getting intentional. About setting yourself up for success Instead of waking up and seeing what life is going to throw at you

Most of us barely have time to have a cup of tea to ourselves. It’s no wonder we don’t take time to figure out what we really want and why. It’s why we end up with a body we didn’t ask for, a job we didn’t ask for and generally a life we didn’t ask for

But I believe this is the most valuable work you will ever do

Here’s a little story about what happens when you drift along and let life happen ‘to you’

A few years ago I went on a trip to Croatia, sailing round the islands. Sounds nice eh? It was my worst holiday ever.

Let me explain.

I decided at the ripe old age of 35, it was time I went on a girls holiday (think I had a mini mid life crisis but that another story) I booked up the trip with a few girls I worked with, didn’t really pay much attention to where or what we were doing. Croatia? Never been, sailing? sounds great for working on the tan. I imagined lying on the deck of a yacht, lazily reading books by day and enjoying relaxing meals at night, taking in the scenery. I was pretty burned out from working long hours at my first PT job so I was really looking forward to lots of rest

Now the reality and what I’d imagined turned out to be very different. I found myself on a 18-30 type booze cruise. The cabin was so small you could barely swing a cat. And have you ever tried to sleep in 40 degree heat without air con? What was worse was the cruise was populated by 20 something Aussies, getting on it from 10am in the morning. Now Aussies – love them dearly and getting ‘on it’ I have been known to like a night out but the 2 combined on a boat for 7 days straight?

What made everything worse was I had no escape. My vision of a peaceful cruise, spent reading and sunbathing was completely shattered as we sailed out to sea to thumping techno music and the captain tuned DJ shouting ‘Who want’s to Paaarrrrttttyyyy?’

I cried. Every night

Now there’s a point to my story and here it is

This is what happens when you don’t actively choose what you want – you end up with things you don’t. I did not want this type of holiday. Yet because I was so passive in the decision making, I got exactly what I didn’t want

This is why I’m always harping on about taking time to get really clear on what you DO want

Most people won’t do it

They’ll go into another year just throwing our random punches and hoping something will land

It’s like going into a boxing match with your eyes closed

If you don’t know what you are aiming for how can you expect to land the shot?

Now my example is just a holiday. I survived my 7 days of hell on a boat

But what happens when you don’t know what you want in other areas of your life?

Ask yourself, are you really clear what you want for your health, your career, your body, your finances, your relationships?

Most people don’t know themselves enough to really know what they want – and then they wonder why they didn’t land anything and are making the same resolutions year after year

it takes a bit of time and effort but wouldn’t you rather set yourself up for a knockout year rather than more of the same?

What I advised the guys who came to my workshop on the weekend was take the time to get really clear on what you want in each area of your life then work out the least stressful and most enjoyable way to get there

Happiness is a journey, not a destination :)

Kat x

We ike to reward our members for their hard work and consistency

Novembers member of the month goes to Lucy Puddle who loves 12 Rounds so much she introduced all her friends

Infant we’re thinking of re-naming 12 Rounds to Lucy Puddles social club :)

Just when we thought she couldn’t get any better, Lucy even came in last week and trained on her Birthday

At 7am!

Keep up the good work Lucy.  We think you are ace!

If you read my blogs you’ll get that I don’t things by the book

Hell, I don’t even have a book

I used to try and write more serious blogs providing facts and information

But I’ve said before people don’t need information. We’re already over loaded

What we are craving is connection and what we connect with is honesty and vulnerability

And when I used to try and be all serious I didn’t enjoy it

It’s hard work trying to be something you’re not

Once you learn to be yourself and follow your own rules and values. Things just become easy

I’m lucky that running my own business I get to do things my way

Something that’s super important to me is having fun and I try to bring that into everything I do

My ethos its if it’s not fun then why do it?

Especially with exercise, like why would you spend time doing something you don’t like?

I’ve never understood why people go to the gym and spend hours running on a treadmill

Of course if that does it for you, then that’s great

But me? I need something a bit more interactive

Boxing ticks so many boxes for me, focus, fitness and fun being just some of them

And it’s my therapy, if I don’t box I get completely stressed out and overwhelmed

The ethos of 12 Rounds is all about making fitness fun

And it seems to be working with the law of attraction as well

The more I focus on having fun and doing stuff that makes me happy

The more of that I attract into my life

Not only am I super lucky that I get to work with an amazing team of bad ass fighters who are equally as silly as me

Our gym also attracts an awesome crowd of fun and friendly people that I love hanging out with

You get what you put out right?

If you love having fun and want to get fit in 2017. Come and learn how to box in a fun and social community

You know what to do

Hit us up at the link below

Boxing Fundamentals

Kat x

My kick-ass team below. Today we agreed to start our team meeting with 12 Rounds of sparring. What else?

Introducing Polly and her boys

Instead of just writing about what’s going on in my head, I thought it would be a good idea to start a fortnightly feature on the type of people that train with us at 12 Rounds.

On Friday I had the pleasure of hanging out with one of her members and I got to meet 2 beautiful doggies, (which is always a bonus in my world!)

Here’s a summary of what we discussed:

1. How long have you been training at 12 Rounds? 

I started with April Fundamentals course and have been attending 3/4 times a week as a member ever since

2. What was it that appealed to you about boxing?

I’d done a bit of boxing before in personal training sessions.  I like the energy release when you punch! It’s also a great non-impact sport when you have knee problems like I do

3. How did you feel before you started? 

I was very unfit! I’d moved back to Clapham after being out of London for a while and I wanted to engage more with my community and do something that I enjoyed and do some exercise.  I didn’t want to join any of the local gyms as I found them to be quite cold places to go and work out.  I saw the graffiti sign above the door and looked up 12 Rounds on line and signed up straight away.  From the very first class, the girls I did the fundamentals class with were brilliant. Since then I’ve seen my fitness improve, I’m losing weight and becoming healthier and I’ve made some really good friends.  It’s also really balanced in terms of support from men and women.  There’s no separation and everyone encourages each other

4.  Biggest achievement?

I did a sit up a few weeks ago!  I’ve never, ever been able to do a sit up in my life and I did a sit up in one of your classes! My next goal is to get back to skipping.  I’ve had a calf injury which has prevented me from skipping at the moment.  I’ve also told John that my next challenge is to be able to do a box jump.  Progression is something that’s encouraged, whether its bettering your technique to throw a punch, how you do your sprints or weight training.  We are always encouraged to do things the right way to get the most out of it.  If you set yourself little goals, suddenly they become bigger and bigger each time :)

5.  What do you most enjoy about the training at 12 Rounds?

The people.  Without a doubt.  Every time someone new starts everyone makes them feel welcome and gets to know their name so when they come in again everyone is chatting and asking how you are.  Kat – It’s like the the boxing version on Cheers.  Polly, except there’s no alcohol yet!  Kat – we do have a bar though so watch this space!

6.  What would you say to anyone thinking about starting boxing and training at 12 Rounds?

I would say, have a look at the website, have a look at Facebook to see what it’s about.  One thing I was quite impressed with that 12 Rounds do is a taster session.  You can come in see what the gyms like and have a go at boxing.  Come down and have a go and find out if it’s right for you.  Come down and see if you can beat me at sit ups!

Thank you Polly for giving us some member insight into 12 Rounds! And for introducing me to Huey and Kiev!

Check out the full interview here!

I thought I was completely losing my mind……..

If you are new to this page you might not be used to my open and upfront blog posts

I do not just write to you to ‘sell you shit’

I speak from the heart about my life and experiences because I believe honesty and vulnerability create connection

I WANT the people who read my emails and come to my gym to know who I am

And by sharing my experiences I hope it will help others

So in this email I’m going to talk about mental health

One in 4 of us struggle with this yet it’s still a bit taboo. Personally I think it’s crazy not to talk about it

Emotional highs and lows are something I’ve lived with most of my life. Apparently its a common trait among entrepreneurs.

Lately, I’ve gone through a particularly difficult period. The pressures of running a business and some difficult personal issues again resulted in anxiety and depression finding their way into my life

To be honest with you after a period of terrifying panic attacks I thought I was completely losing my mind

So why am I telling you this?

Because I want to tell you how I get through it and how my gym and training helps me

Boxing
I originally got into boxing as a way of dealing with stress. It works every time. From a brain perspective any movement interrupts the brain pattern keeping you stuck. It literally gets you out of your own head. Boxing is particularly helpful as not only are you moving but you also have to think about the technique. The brain has no choice but to focus on something else other than your worries

Connection
I created 12 Rounds because I wanted to create a space where people feel connected and part of something. Simple. When things seem dark, just getting out there and connecting with people makes everything that little bit better. I truly believe as human beings we need that connection. Many of the members know about my recent struggles. I also know about theirs. We talk about stuff. It’s that kind of place

Balance
Too much of anything will kill you. Even if it’s exercise. Over-training leads to a dominance in stress hormones. Balance is something I’m only just discovering. As a business owner I’ve spent the last few years in constant work mode. This not only creates a pattern of stress and anxiety but it also affects relationships. Slow the fuck down and do some yoga. It really works. We even now have drop in yoga sessions available. Just check out the calendar

Sometimes it’s these things that get me through the week

I’m telling you this because if you’re on this site then you should know what 12 Rounds is all about

If you are just looking for a place to give you a workout then we’re prob not for you

But if you’re looking for a community, if you’re looking for a way to build confidence, if you are looking for ways to manage your stress and mental health, if you want support, connection and friendship AND a workout

Then we might just be for you

Pop along and see us for taster session. Our next fundamentals course starts in July
Kat  xx

Every time it have to take a train or plane journey which is more than a few hours I go into a bit of a panic mode

The reason being is that I don’t eat gluten

And most of the food available on such journeys (sandwiches, croissants and other floor based products) do not comply with my gluten free diet.

So I find myself frantically running around trying to find food that I can eat

Someone recently said to me – can you not start eating gluten again after 6 months of cutting it out?

My answer? Why would I want to?

I have successfully created a new habit that serves me better

Years ago I used to suffer from severe IBS. My stomach would swell up like I was 6 months pregnant and I was spending way too much time in the bathroom….

I realised I was gluten intolerant so I stopped eating the offending foods

At first it was hard and I would slip back into old habits every now and again. When I first gave up bread I ate a lot of rice cakes as I tried to find alternatives to the foods I was used to eating. Every so often I would slip up and not be able to resist some warm bread or toast and butter but I would pay for it with the stomach pains afterwards. I reminded myself that I didn’t want to feel like this and kept going with it. Gradually I was trying more foods and missing the bread and pastries a whole lot less. By now I was used to having my eggs with spinach instead of toast.

10 years later, it doesn’t even occur to me to eat gluten based foods. It’s not something I have to try to avoid or consciously think about. I just don’t eat it. I have successfully re-programmed my brain.

So what’s my point exactly?

It’s exactly the same with creating any new habit. At first you have to give it attention and be clear on your intention. I had to consciously think about what I was going to eat and remind myself that if I ate these foods I would not feel well. Then I had to find alternatives to create a new pattern. You have to keep repeating the new pattern over and over again in order for the brain to uptake the new behaviour as a ‘habit’

The thing is I had to make it enjoyable by gradually finding other foods that I liked. If I had forced myself to eat stuff I didn’t like, I wouldn’t have continued it long enough for it to become a habit

These days I love eating vegetables in the morning but back then that wouldn’t have been my idea of fun – I had to adapt gradually and take things at a pace that worked for me

It might not might not be giving up gluten but the same rules apply whatever lifestyles change you want to make

If you don’t create a way that’s going to be enjoyable for you or manageable for you, you simply won’t repeat the new behaviour enough times for the brain to adopt it as a permanent change. You will simply go back to the previous pattern

And that’s exactly why diets and quick fixes don’t work in the long term

Now back to my gluten intolerance, it does make travelling a bit more difficult and I’m a pain in the ass to go out to dinner with but hey I have so much more time on my hands now I don’t have to spend so much time in the bathroom!

Kat x

At this time of year we are conditioned to make resolutions

We tell ourselves things are going to change this year and we are motivated and ready to start the year afresh

New ideas, new goals, there we are ready to go and take action

But most new year resolutions don’t make it until the end of Jan. you prob know this from experience yourself. In fact all to often they leave us feeling worse that we did before. It becomes just another failure to add to the growing list.

So why is it that after a few weeks we stop continuing the action? You want change things really badly right? So why can’t you just stick to the plan?

Actually it’s not your fault.

Most people don’t know that for real transformation to occur, ie to create new habits and lasting changes, changes have to occur in the brain. The brain has to go through a process where the new habit is transferred to the part that runs programmes on auto-pilot

And this is exactly why boxers shadow box. They repeat their movements so often they run like a programme on automatic

Here are 10 reasons why most New Years Resolution are set to fail – AND how to make real sustainable changes

1. You’ve committed to the goal but not the work involved to get the end result. You haven’t fully researched or understood the work involved to reach the goal. Eg if you want to look like a fitness model, it involves a lot more than just training. We’re talking weighing and measuring food daily and completely staying off the booze (that’s why I don’t look like a fitness model!) Instead get clear on the process to reach your goal before you decide if it’s right for you

2. You are not clear on your reasons for wanting the goal in the first place. Every goal is a search for a feeling. If you are not clear on how you want to feel when you reach the goal, how will you ever know when you get there? Instead of measuring inches and kilos – think about how you want to feel and what needs to happen to create those feelings

3. The journey to reach the goal causes you misery and unhappiness. If you hate the thought of what you have to do to reach the goal and have to force yourself to do the work, it’s never going to be sustainable. We can only force ourself to do something for a limited amount of time. If you want to create transformation and not just short term changes, you have to enjoy the actions enough to keep repeating them, so makes sense to find something thats going to be fun!

4. The process to reach your goal leaves you off balance. The journey is too extreme and leaves you no time to connect to yourself or your friends and family. Being of balance means the journey is all work and no fun. If you feel disconnected with yourself you are likely to become vulnerable and be more likely to reactive behaviours that will take you further away from your goal

5. You haven’t planned your defences. Reaching a new goal or creating a new habit takes time. Life is always going to get in the way. Your boss asks you to work late so you can’t get to the gym or to your business class……you’re kid is sick so you have to pick them up from school early…
If you haven’t created a response for all the things that could get in the way, you leave yourself open to getting hit by life’s punches

6. Your reason for achieving the goal is to please someone else. If you’re happiness is tied up with someone else recognition and approval you are always going to be vulnerable as you lack certainty in yourself. Get to know yourself first and get clear on your values and beliefs, and what actually makes YOU happy. Then ask yourself will reaching this goal take me closer to happiness?

7. You try to change behaviour without changing the underlying believes. Again it goes back to knowing yourself and what you believe. If you believe that your self worth is tied up in what you achieve then you will constantly be chasing happiness. Changing the outside without changing what’s inside won’t work. You’ll always find more external things that need changing unless you can learn to be happy with who you are

8. You’re following someone else’s plan. Just because something worked for your friend, neighbour, auntie or cousin doesn’t mean it will work for you. Get to know yourself and how you work best. Everyone’s body and lifestyle is different so what works really well for one person might be terrible for you. Weight loss can be a bit of an experiment to get to know your body and how it responds to certain things

9. The plan causes you stress. If you get stressed out because you missed prepping a meal or missed a workout, it’s more likely to cause your body to hold on to weight. When we are stressed, our bodies release stress hormones and all our other hormonal functions are compromised. This is more likely to lead to fat GAIN
Trust me I know all about this one!

10. You haven’t created a plan or set aside time to practice the new behaviour. Whether it’s practising eating healthier or whether you want to be more confident, everything is a skill. Learning a new skill takes time and practice. For anything to become a new habit 3 things need to happen. You need to give it attention, be clear on your intention and repeat the actions enough times for the patterns to be stored in the correct part of your brain. Boxers do this by shadow boxing so their moves become automatic. If you want your new habit to be sustainable you need to put in the reps to practice it, right?
So how can you build in daily rituals to shadow box your new behaviour?

What’s your experience of New Years Resolutions? Have you been successful in changing behaviour? I love to hear your experiences so please do comment below

Kat x