But try telling that to Beresfield's Dan Murray.

At the ripe old age of 32, the Beresfield fitness nut is actually stepping back into the ring after a 10-year break - and couldn't be happier.

Married with six-year old twin daughters, Abigail and Olivia, and a full time job at Maitland City Council as well as running a gym, he must have been wary about raising the subject with wife Jennie?

"It was surprisingly easy," he said.

"We were sitting down taking about work and I asked how she would feel about me boxing professionally. She just said 'with all the training you do you might as well'. That was it. Easy."

'All that training' is an understatement.

Six days a week Dan gets out of bed at 3am when the alarm sounds, heads to his gym, C&Ds MMA Boxing Fitness at Bersefield, and is on the treadmill by 3.30am.

He will train for about 90 minutes with the place to himself, before heading home to get ready for work at Maitland City Council. After work he's back for more physical punishment - this time for about two hours, working with mixed martial arts fighters.

It was working around these fighters that rekindled Dan's desire to get in the ring.

"I had 21 amateur fights, won state and national titles, but then gave it away when I was about 21," he said.

"I've always been into fitness, so I continued working out in the gym and got to know the mixed martial arts guys. I enjoyed that - and just felt it was helping me develop my skills. Those guys are actually helping me prepare for my fights."

He admits that while he has always retained his fitness levels, he has stepped up to the Keto diet to attain high fighting weight of 77 kilos.

"I'm super middleweight or light heavyweight," he said.

For those not in the know, Keto diet is strict, high fat, low carb diet that is great at quick weight loss, but which requires self discipline.

But that's never really been a problem for Dan who believes a state title by the end of the year is attainable.

"Why not?" he said.

"If I look after myself, keep training hard, preparing well I can do it," he said. "I'm even aiming for a national title by the end of next year.

"I see myself as a fighter with a good defence, but who likes to keep up the pressure on my opponent. So yeah, I reckon it's achievable."

So what does he know of Armidale's Robbie Porter?

"He's tough, I know that," he said. "I've seen some footage of him and one of my MMA mates has fought him, so I'll be prepared."

In the meantime, Dan is putting the word out that sponsors would be appreciated.

"That would be great if you could mention that."

At this early stage of his comeback, he's fighting for a winner's purse of about $1000.

There can't be too many tougher ways to earn a grand, but he's looking long haul.

"The more wins you have, the greater the prizemoney. All fighters have to go through this, so the plan is to keep winning.

"But it wasn't so much the money that got me back into it anyway. I just had the itch to do it again, to test myself ... and here I am."