Have you pondered the relationship between the health of your body and that of your mind?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our physical and mental health are closely related; tightly interwoven like the threads in this rich tapestry we call life. They cannot be separated from one another without damaging the fabric – if one unravels, the other surely will too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A healthy mind needs a healthy body to reside in and nourish it; similarly, for a body to function at its optimum level it requires a sound mind at the helm, telling it what to do. You body is the puppet, its actions only as fluid and streamlined as the decisions of the puppetmaster pulling its strings – your mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Someone who understands the power and importance of the mind\/body connection is Anton Pattenden, a boxing coach living in Kent. Having made the link many years ago, he overhauled his own lifestyle and began reaping the benefits in all aspects of his health and relationships. Keen to pass on what he\u2019d learnt, he began coaching boys and young men in football and amateur boxing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast forward to 2020, and Anton is now a licensed professional boxing coach at Honour And Glory, complete with a fully-equipped boxing gym in the grounds of his Sidcup home. He has witnessed on many occasions the transformative power of exercise in general, and boxing in particular, on the people he trains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s incredible,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople who are suffering with chronic anxiety and depression – even PTSD in some cases – have shown a complete shift in their mental state after regular sessions in the ring. Even those who were so traumatised they could barely make eye contact or hold a conversation have totally come out of their shell. You can see the change in these guys\u2019 personalities – and in particular their eyes – as well as their physiques and fitness levels. Their eyes are shining by the end of a session.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n