Benefits Of Boxing For The Body & Mind
Boxing has become fast popular in the fitness industry, particularly as it is a great way to build core strength and burn calories long after the training session has ended. However, boxing fitness provides many other health benefits to the body and mind.
1. Burn Fat
Boxing and Boxing fitness utilise High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This means that the body not only burns calories during the session, but long after the session has ended, in some cases up to 21 hours post-exercise. This type of fitness is superior to other cardio exercises that may not burn as many calories, and therefore boxing is great for maximum fat burn and weight loss.
2. Build muscle
Ever wonder why boxers are slim yet toned? High Intensity Interval Training, such as fast repetitive movements involved in punching, skipping and high intensity exercises leads to balanced and toned muscle with increased strength and flexibility. In contrast, body builders who carry out slow heavy movements leads to muscle expansion. It is this reason why boxing is so popular for toning up without adding bulk.
3. Build Strong Bones and Ligaments
Boxing utilises resistance training which is extremely beneficial to bone, tendon and ligament health. Using the focus pads and boxing bags provides resistance as well as squats, planks, pullups, pushups and many other exercises which force your muscles to contract. Your muscles, tendons and ligaments will get stronger as your body works against the resistance. In addition, using your body weight can aid in increasing lean muscle mass which is vital to maintaining a high metabolic rate which is vital for fat and weight loss.
4. Build Core Stability & Core Strength
Your core is where your strength and power originates. Reinforcing your core will enhance your balance and stability and enable you to perform exercises such as punching more efficiently. Boxing builds core muscle and stability allowing you to punch with more strength and force without losing your balance. Building core strength and stability has a number of health benefits such as: reducing the risk of injury, protecting organs and central nervous system, reduce or eliminate back pain and building confident and correct posture.
6. Increased Strength and Power
Boxing is a full body workout. When you learn correct boxing techniques, you utilise your arms, shoulders, back, legs, hips, glutes, core and obliques. Punching against a bag or focus pad leads to contractions in all these muscles further building your strength and power.
7. Increased Cardiovascular Fitness
In addition to a full body workout that builds full body muscle and strength, boxing also builds cardiovascular fitness. Cardiovascular fitness is the ability of the heart, blood cells and lungs to supply oxygen-rich blood to the working muscle tissues and the ability of the muscles to use oxygen to produce energy for movement. When multiple muscles contract simultaneously, you force your heart and lungs to work harder to transport oxygen-rich blood around the body to the working muscles. This enables your heart and lungs to become more efficient leading to a higher intensity workout which maximises fat burning.
8. Relieves stress & anxiety
Apart from the physical benefits, boxing is a real hit when it comes to reducing stress and tension. Nothing rids the brain of stress quite like whaling on a punching bag. Many scientific studies demonstrate that boxing has a positive affect on mental health. One study shows that boxing programs significantly improved negative effects, produced positive engagement, and induced tranquility in all participants. Participants also demonstrated significant decreases in their tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, and confusion scores. Their total mood disturbance score (a global measure that accounts for several emotion states) moved in a positive direction. Bottom line, throwing punches improves negative psychological markers and enhances pleasant and relaxed feelings. Boxing is great for the body and mind!
9. Improved Co-ordination & awareness
Boxing utilises multiple muscles moving simultaneously, and therefore requires good coordination and awareness of the body. Boxing is excellent for honing your ability to coordinate your hand movements with your body as you concentrate on striking a target while you’re on the move. The more you practice your hand and footwork, the more agile, quick on your feet and aware of your body you become.
10. Improved Confidence and Self-Esteem
Combat sports are great for channeling your frustrations in a safe and controlled environment. This allows individuals to relief stress and build confidence as well as disciple and character. Individuals grow more confident as they become stronger and punch with more force. Learning the basics of boxing enables a person with basic self defense skills and this can also build self confidence. Not to mention when you tone up and look great, you feel great.
11. Self defense
Boxing training teaches awareness, range, disciple and basic striking. It is just as effective as all other combat sports, in that it teaches full power striking, defending against such attacks and sparring to practice. These are three main components that make boxing =an effective tool for self-defense. It also enables a person to build confidence and physical fitness to be able to defend themselves
