Equipment

• Before you start boxing, outfit yourself with the proper equipment. Boxing equipment includes a mouth-guard, hand wraps, gloves, headgear and, if you are a man, a cup. Mouth-guards can be molded to fit your teeth by boiling them to soften the plastic, and biting down until it re-hardens in the shape of your teeth. Boxing equipment is available from most sporting goods stores.
  
  

Basics

• As with most sports, training starts with overall physical conditioning. For boxing, exercises that improve upper-body strength are helpful. Boxing coach Tom Shook suggests push-ups, pull-ups and weight lifting. Boxing is about much more than physical strength. To learn real fighting techniques, Shook recommends joining a boxing club.
  
  

Heavy Bag

• A heavy bag is one of the most recognizable boxing training tools, and it is an excellent piece of equipment for learning technique and getting in shape, according to the website Title Boxing. The heavy bag provides a weighted target, similar to a live opponent. Boxers can train for two to three minute intervals, the length of time of a typical boxing round.
  
  

Sparring

• According to boxing coach Ross Enamait, sparring is the best way to prepare for a real fight. Boxing presents many mental challenges that can’t be simulated with heavy bag training. Learning how to keep calm after taking a punch is one of the most difficult skills, according to Emamait. Sparring is also important for learning strategy and learning to react to unpredictable situations.
  
  

Safety

• Boxing is fighting and, as such, it can be dangerous. Muhammad Ali, perhaps the world’s most famous boxer, developed serious medical problems from a lifetime of getting hit in the head. However, for the recreational boxer with the right equipment and training, serious injury can be avoided, according to Title Boxing.