Designer Michele Sison can be the poster girl for the over-50 age group. Her body is age-defying: a 22-inch waistline, trim arms and thighs and a firm jawline. Her secret is boxing combined with cross training.

She recalled that after returning from Central Saint Martins London in 2000, the then 34-year-old designer felt “soft.”

“My metabolism started to slow down,” she said, adding that she tried other sports such as kickboxing and Muay Thai. “I’m maarte. I didn’t want to go barefoot and get calluses.”

Then again, running on the treadmill was boring. Her cousin, combat sports trainer Erwin Tagle, suggested boxing to build her muscle without bulking up. Back then, he had a gym in Eastwood before opening his present Ultimate Fitness Gym at MetroWalk, Ortigas.

Sison was immediately hooked. After a long day of meeting with clients and working at her atelier, she felt relaxed after striking a punching bag.

“I loved the stress release, especially when you throw the punches and hit the soft spot. It’s so satisfying,” she said.

Boxing released the adrenaline, and the surge of endorphins made her happy.

A high-intensity interval training workout, boxing has become her favorite aerobic program. As her workouts—a combination of punches, sparring and calisthenics—become intense, her body needs more energy to consume more oxygen and make the cell powerhouses work harder.

“After each session, you are still burning calories,” explained Sison. “Boxing is my best friend in weight loss.”

Aside from burning calories, she’s also developing power, speed and strength to pump up her metabolism.

Lung capacity

At 4’10”, the diminutive designer is 82 pounds of muscle. Sison said the upper body workout strengthens her back and firms up her arms, aside from increasing her lung capacity and improving her heart rate.

Boxing chisels her abdomen, since it requires core work. The hips turn to allow the torso to fully extend and deliver a stronger blow. The sport strengthens the stomach muscles more than lying on the floor for sit-ups and crunches.

But she’s not into boxing to satisfy a vanity. The hand-eye coordination helps improve her focus. Sison has learned to preserve herself. When someone grabs her arm, she immediately blocks to protect herself.

“I feel confident that I can defend myself,” she said.

Sison boxes after work for 90 minutes in a non-airconditioned gym at Ultimate Fitness so she can sweat more.

As if it weren’t enough, she also works out with personal trainer Jonnel Cruz. Thrice a week, she’s at the health club at 5:30 p.m., to warm up before her session with Cruz. She explains that her workout with Cruz focuses on functional training, exercising the muscles to work together to condition them for daily tasks such as carrying heavy objects.

In her Facebook posts, her sessions emphasize strength conditioning, which includes balancing on a stability ball for stronger abs, back and hips; flipping and dragging the ViPR (vitality, performance and reconditioning) tool; swinging the kettlebell and beating the battle ropes. These exercises activate the various muscles in the upper and lower body simultaneously while focusing on core strengthening.

Asked how her fitness routine has helped her in midlife, Sison replied: “I can lift my parents’ luggage from the baggage carousel. When we’re abroad, I don’t mind running errands for them. They used to do that when we were kids. I’m happy to do it for them this time,” she said. “I don’t have a yaya to order to get me this or that.”

Sison doesn’t need to diet. After her morning workout with Cruz, she will have a full breakfast of eggs, grilled fish, sweet potatoes or mashed banana or cauliflower. Lunch is protein-filled with chicken or salad and boiled eggs for her hair and skin. Dinner is the most important meal with her family. She enjoys the full course of soup, salad, three main courses.

“I always make room for dessert,” she added.

Younger women look up to Sison for being fit at 51. “Don’t let go. I encourage women to get into a fitness journey that they can enjoy. Take care of yourself and love your body. Be the best that you can be.” —CONTRIBUTED