If you would have told me that at 54 years old, I would be in an MMA gym(Mixed Martial Arts) a few days a week, I would have thought you had Weight Watchers Association written down upside down! The truth of the matter is, this is the most fun/funny activity I've done in a long time! One does not fully understand pent up aggression until one goes up against a punching bag! You quickly learn your "other" right while sparring with Carlos! Brian is great, a little easier on my joints while Charles is definitely in charge!

I have played tennis my whole life, but as us mid-lifers know, or maybe it's just my crew, the aches and pains slowly start to rear their not so pretty heads. I finally had one too many cancellations for my tennis game and quickly needed something that I did not need a partner for and could get the same charge, calorie burn and fun while going at it alone, it was suggested to try MMA boxing. Mind you, it was suggested by a 22 year old, but what the heck, I'm only as old as I feel right? Right!

I went in one Sat. morning, and felt as if I had been coming here for years. They were welcoming, friendly, and probably wondering who I was there to pick up! I was given boxing gloves, and told to run for 3 minutes. Run? Is there a donut at the finish line? Is this where boxers get their name of Sugar? Will I become Sugar Ray Beth? I walked! Pick a bag I was told, oh you have Lay's here? Cross, jab, kick, punch for 3 minutes, do a pyramid, a what? Yes, 10 jumping jacks, 10 push ups, 10 squats, 9,9,9 all the way down to one! I quickly discovered I have short arms, I could never box with G-d! Get water, he screamed. Yay, we're finished. No, that was the warm up! Are you joking, because I'm the stand up comic here, I'm the only one who is funny, remember that I told him. Why is everyone but me sweating? Oh, you're not sweating Beth? Well, no, I take medicine to block sweat, pretty women don't sweat, we sparkle! So, he turned it up! By the time I was finished with this hour class, it looked like I had been swimming, and crawled out of there! Oh how wrong I was thinking I was in good shape, I was in shape, every artery in my body was hard!

Anyway, I just finished my 5th week and I have to tell you, I have not felt this great in a long time! They are a great bunch at the Bowie MMA, the owners all have bent over backwards for me as they will do for you. Go online for their internet special, try 3 sessions, Arnold came back and so will you! For you mid-lifers, their hours are like the old Citizens bank commercials, Daytime, nighttime, Saturday's too! So, there is no excuse not to throw your back out, learn how to crawl again or get up in the morning downing some Advil with your coffee!

I'll see you there! I'm the one in the swim suit!