Medical Reports: Box it out

WSVN -- OK, so most couples don't resort to guns while fighting but what about a pair of gloves?

Larry Klutz: "I think probably in the beginning we were very very hesitant because we were first learning, and now we do some shadowboxing, and we are a little bit more comfortable."

Larry and his wife Carol have been kickboxing and sparring together for the last five years.

Carol Van Cleaf: "By doing kickboxing you feel more confident, you have strength. It's fun. You could relieve all your anxieties."

And it's not just about health. This exercise/fighting can actually help your relationship.

Dr. Eva Ritvo: "A lot of times couples do have some pent up aggression in the relationship, so they can release that together, and that's very healthy for them."

Trainer Danny Hawk sees couples change right before his eyes in his classes.

Danny Hawk: "They might come in with a little irritation, but then they leave, you know, pleasant. I always say they come in like a lion, and they leave like lambs."

Doctors say it may seem like a competition, but there is communication here.

Dr. Eva Ritvo: "It's a way to communicate, a back and forth, a physical intimacy that's appealing."

For the program to work, doctors say you do have to trust each other.

Dr. Eva Ritvo: "You'd have to have a high level of trust, so I would think if a couple was having difficulties it might not be the best time to take up this sport."

And it can't be about winning.

Dr. Eva Ritvo: "If one member is going to be too competitive or if one member is going to be disappointed then it can have a very negative impact on the couple."

For Danny and Carol, it's becoming a sport they can enjoy together.

Danny Hawk: "It's the first workout that we do together that we agree that we like, and we both look forward to coming to, and we both talk about how well we did when we get home."

Diana Diaz: "Doctors say couples can also benefit from doing other sports together such as swimming, running and biking."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Normandy Gym
1145 71st Street
Miami Beach, FL 33141
305-865-8570
www.normandyboxinggym.com

Dr. Eva Ritvo
UM Miller School of Medicine
4300 Alton Road, MRI Building, 2nd Floor
Miami Beach, FL 33140
305-674-2194
www.med.miami.edu