What are the benefits of boxing? There are more than you may think! When you think of boxing, you may think of a large arena with two people in satin shorts throwing punches at each other, but boxing is a much more complex, beneficial and interesting sport than that. What’s even better? Boxing doesn’t have to be utilised as a sport, in fact most people who engage in boxing at home aren’t training to punch another person, they’re doing it for their health.
We exercise for many reasons – to lose weight, get toned, improve our heart health, de-stress, or just for something to do. But what if we told you there is an exercise out there where you can experience these benefits, and so many more, all by doing just one thing? Seems too good to be true, but it isn’t. Boxing is one of the very few sports in the world where you can experience a full body workout by doing just one exercise.
- Kickstart your cardiovascular health
When you hear the word ‘cardio’, how fast do you run away? It’s common for people to dislike cardio for a number of reasons, but most of the time it’s because it’s boring. There are only so many playlists you can play on the treadmill before you’re bored out of your brains. But cardio is important for our cardiovascular health, and can transform our heart’s fitness levels like no other exercise. If only there was a fun way to burn calories and get your heart rate increased for a long period of time? Introducing, boxing.
Boxing is a fun and effective workout that quite literally keeps you on your toes. By maintaining a high heart rate through kicking, punching and jumping, boxing is the fun cousin of cardio, and does an even better job at it!
- Sculpt your entire body, not just your arms
It’s a common misconception that boxing only works your arms, this could not be further from the truth. Once you nail the beginners guide to boxing, you will be ready for a full body workout like no other. This is one of the most important parts of boxing – establish a proper form and your body will thank you for it.
Once you learn how to rotate your hips and hit the bag at maximum speed and power, you will notice the profound effect it has when you try and sit up in your bed the next morning. Moving your body correctly requires the abdomen muscles to contract explosively, as well as maintain stability in your core – yes, this means your abs are getting a hardcore workout when you thought you were only moving your arms around.
- Regulate your mood and decrease stress levels
Did you know that 35 per cent of adults say that exercise puts them in a good mood, and 30 per cent say they feel less stressed when they exercise regularly? Throw in a punching bag and some controlled aggression, and a boxing workout can become your new favourite workout and your therapist! Boxing can also be a great confidence booster by introducing an element of self-defence into your life, and we all know the kinds of endorphins a good workout can release. Try boxing for 45 minutes tomorrow morning, and we guarantee you will feel ecstatic for the rest the day.
- Improve your overall coordination
You may have heard it before, but boxing is like dancing. Once you start boxing, you are suddenly the third wheel in the relationship between your hands and your feet. You are constantly working toward coordinating your punching with your feet and hips to remain strong and coordinated; but this doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process to react with speed and power when you’re trying to coordinate your limbs, but the overall benefits can outweigh the struggle.
You can never stop improving your hand-eye coordination, and your gross and fine motor skills. It’s said that if you have good hand-eye coordination, you tend to have faster reflexes and reaction times, which can be handy in tricky situations.
- Strengthen those bones
Exercise Physiologist, Drew Harrisberg, swears by boxing to improve bone strength.
‘As an exercise physiologist, I even prescribe boxing for elderly pollutions who are at risk of developing osteoporosis’
‘The forces through the hands and arms stimulate bones to mineralise and strengthen, ultimately reducing the risk of developing osteopenia or osteoporosis and potentially even reversing the conditions in some cases’
When bones are put under stress through exercises such as boxing, cells are triggered to build bone. This means the more healthy stress you put on the bone through high impact workouts, the greater the benefit you will enjoy.
Whether you have a boxing bag at home in the garage or you have looked more than twice at the boxing bag at the gym, this is your sign to start. If you’re a beginner, check out our beginners guide to boxing. If you’re a pro, keep it up; there are more than just a few reasons to utilise boxing as your everyday workout.
