IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS WEEK. . . box clever with your workout

If you work out the same way all the time – perhaps you have a well-worn groove around the gym stations – then why not shake up your exercise routine by putting up your dukes?

Boxing workouts, complete with hooks, uppercuts and jabs, can engage muscles you might never even have thought you had.

One way to learn the moves and work up a sweat is to sign up to an instructor-led “boxercise” class, which can involve donning the gloves and hitting pads held by a partner, as well as other exercises.

Another route is to use a punchbag as part of your workout – but again seek the advice of a qualified instructor to learn the correct technique, so you get the most out of the pummel session and avoid injury.

Or if the gloves seem a bridge too far, you could simply enlist the skipping rope to help bump up your fitness.