Rebuilding yourself after a stroke or other major health issue can be frustrating, especially for someone with a lifelong history of intense daily physical activity and a career that depended on stamina and coordination. Staying motivated becomes the biggest challenge when mundane tasks and exercises just don't light your inner fire.
Boxing might seem like an odd choice for a rehabilitative activity, but it turned out to be just the right thing for us. We started out with an Everlast cardio bag, two pairs of Everlast gel sparring gloves and a pair of Everlast Mantis punch mitts. The bag consists of a two-piece, water-filled plastic base, a pole with a spring, plus the bag itself. Here's what the bag looks like after assembly:
Its five-foot height makes it great for seated workouts, for those who have trouble standing for any length of time. We use rolling office chairs, and brace our feet on the base while one of us steadies the bag for the other.
As Gypsy worked out and regained strength and control, the cardio bag was not enough challenge. We needed something that encouraged or even required standing, so we finally bought an Everlast single-station heavy bag stand.
It was not as hard to assemble as we thought it might be. It came with its own tools and all the fasteners it needed:
There are seven major parts: three for the base, two side braces, and two pieces for the hanging arm:
We assembled the base first, bolting the two side arms to the center foot.
Next, we bolted the bottom half of the hanging arm to the base:
Next, we bolted the top half of the hanging arm to the bottom half, then we bolted the right and left support arms into place before hanging the bag:
Gypsy had a great time punching the bag. If you scroll down quick enough, you can watch Gypsy's workout:
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