The Benefits of Learning How to Box for Your Life and Health

There’s much more to learning how to box than being able to better defend yourself when threatened physically, much more in fact. This is indicated by the increased popularity that boxing is currently enjoying amongst both sexes, and the benefits of boxing are wide and varied and include emotional, mental and physical health benefits.

With boxing gyms easily accessible in most towns and cities, and many offering free introductory classes so those interested can give it a go before signing up for membership or a course, the time has never been better to give boxing a go – check out some of the many benefits that learning how to box has to offer.

Cardiovascular fitness

Boxing training, particularly sparring, is an intensive cardiovascular workout that provides no respite, keeping you on your toes and constantly moving until the bell rings.

Interval training, whether it’s sparring for two or three minutes then taking a break for one, or doing bag work or speedball training for similar durations, is an excellent cardiovascular workout.

Strength training

Boxing training works your whole body and therefore all the muscle groups. It’s important for both men and women to engage in strength training as a means of building muscle mass so as to increase their metabolic rate and burn calories faster.

Stress reduction

All forms of exercise help to reduce stress, for instance runners enjoy ‘runner’s high’, that feeling of euphoria that comes with pushing your body through intensive physical exercise as a result of reducing those feel-good hormones known as endorphins.

Boxing, however, empowers you to not only enjoy a comparable feeling as a result of cardiovascular training, but also further reduce stress levels by punching a bag or speedball, enabling you to take out your frustration in a way that no other sport allows you to.

Improved balance and coordination

Boxing requires you to constantly change direction and shift your weight about which is an excellent way to improve your balance and coordination. This is achieved in two distinct ways, firstly by training your mind to move your body about, and secondly, by increasing strength in your ankles, knees and hips.

Increased joint flexibility has a wide range of benefits in addition to improving your balance and coordination, including improved joint health and better posture.

Increased confidence

As you learn to box you’ll begin to feel greater confidence, because when you’re empowered to defend yourself from physical threats your confidence levels will increase as a result, something that many men and women have discovered first-hand.

There is, however, more to increasing your confidence levels than learning how to defend yourself, as boxing enhances one’s mental fortitude by overcoming adversity and resistance.

Boxing is a tough sport to learn and the longer you stick with it and push yourself, the more mental strength you’ll gather.

Increased bone density

High impact sports like running and boxing are great for increasing bone density which fights against osteoporosis and other bone diseases later in life.

Boxing is great for increasing bone density in your arms as you engage in bag work and speedball training, particularly the former, and it’s also great for increasing bone density in your legs as move about, shifting your weight and changing direction.

Competition

You mightn’t be a very competitive person at all, though there are many emotional and mental health benefits associated with competing, including learning humility, something that many people discover about boxing as a sport.

Competing against other people in the boxing ring could make a difference in other areas of your life, most notably with regard to your career.

Socialising

Gyms are great places to socialise, and although many people engage in more chin-wagging than they should when in the gym, it can’t be denied that joining exercise groups in Melbourne and learning how to box with others presents some excellent opportunities to meet and socialise with like minded people.

There are so many excellent benefits associated with learning how to box in addition to learning how to defend yourself if threatened physically. With boxing gyms popping up like mushrooms in most cities and towns, why not source a local boxing gym that offers free introductory classes and give boxing a try?

Tags: Boxing, Physical exercise, Strength training

Category: Health