Boxing as a workout provides a myriad of benefits for your health and wellbeing – more than you may expect, in fact.
Originating all the way back in ancient Greece, boxing is actually one of the world’s oldest workouts. And aside from the addition of new modern equipment, not much else has changed when it comes to boxing techniques over the past few hundred years.
This is because boxing as an exercise naturally already provides major benefits when it comes to strength and endurance training, as well as agility training, building focus or concentration, and muscle toning with minimal impact. As boxing is a naturally low-impact activity, it’s great for trainees of all experience levels and training objectives, making it one of the most accessible martial arts for people of all ages.
So what are the main benefits of boxing as a workout, and why should you add some boxing training to your weekly exercise routine? Let’s dive in.
A Gentle & Accessible Workout
As mentioned, boxing as a workout possesses a pretty small learning curve and can be done with minimal upfront cost investment. Whilst your first boxing class may be daunting for anyone that hasn’t trained in martial arts before, all you really need to get started is a good pair of boxing gloves and perhaps a mouthguard and some boxing headgear for face and cranial protection – that is, if you’re planning to get into the ring for leisurely sparring or even for fighting competitively at some point.
For most beginners, however, you can rock up to your first boxing class with nothing but a towel and a pair of your own gloves. That being said, every gym may use their own class structure and equipment, depending on the student levels they have lessons for, and on the unique selling points of that gym in particular. For instance, your gym may offer kickboxing which provides you with access to more boxing equipment like kick pads and punching bags.
Most of the time, however, training is done on pads in partner drills where you can work punch sequences called combinations. In addition to the pad drills, boxing training is broad and can include a variety of strength and endurance exercises. In fact, it’s common for trainers to include footwork drills, high intensity training and weight training as well – all to help grow the wide range of skills required to be a competition-level boxer.
And on top of being high-intensity, boxing is also low-impact, making it a great, gentle exercise for people of all ages and abilities.
A Full-Body Workout with Diverse Physical Health Benefits
Boxing training has a wide range of physical benefits ranging from cardiovascular to agility and strength. Boxing training is primarily focused on speed and power in three to five minute bursts. Training in this high-intensity style is a great way to improve your cardiovascular endurance.
A large part of boxing training is also dedicated to combinations and footwork. By focusing on both upper body arm movements and lower body leg stances and foot placement, boxing can help improve your agility and coordination literally from the ground up.
Boxing stances and movements also organically activate your core, so on top of building bicep and hamstring muscles, you’re also strengthening your abdominal muscles and improving your posture by adhering to boxing stances.
Lots of boxing drills get your heart rate up and burn a lot of calories and as a result boxing training has become a popular cardio alternative to treadmill runs or even rowing machine sessions. Even working a small amount of boxing training into your existing workout program can be a great way to break through a training plateau.
Boxing for Relaxation & Building Mind-Body Connections
And then there’s the natural breathwork that accompanies boxing training. Like any cardio workout, the high-energy nature of boxing training naturally encourages you to stay present in your body, breathing and punching with purpose. In this way, training boxing will also help to improve your mind-body connection as well as your reaction times.
This intense focus required for boxing workouts creates an organic meditative effect that can clear the mind helping to break the circuit of negative thoughts. All in all, boxing can provide both an outlet for stress as well as providing opportunities to hone many skills that apply to life outside of the gym, from the values of physical perseverance to emotional self-regulation and finding positive and productive outlets for your frustration.
Through strength building and the release of serotonin, boxing training can also help build up confidence and mental resilience. And despite the fact that boxing does provide so many mental health benefits, it is these mind-body advantages that are amongst the lesser known pros of boxing training.
The Social Benefits of Boxing Training
They say that finding the right hobby can boost your wellbeing in more ways than one. One of the benefits of maintaining any kind of hobby is being able to connect with like-minded people. And as boxing is an innately social workout, there’s no shortage of opportunities to forge lifelong relationships at your local boxing gym.
Boxing communities can be just as diverse as they are welcoming, with trainees coming from all walks of life – from other martial arts scenes to dancers, marathon runners looking to build up strength whilst still enjoying some cardio, and even just people who want to have fun moving.
Boxing classes themselves are also inherently social. Most boxing training is done in classes of various sizes, with drills conducted in smaller groups and pairs. Training alone is possible but is much more difficult and will not give you the full benefits of training in a group. Plus, pairing up with people in class is a regular occurrence and is a great way to meet new people.
Then there’s the community events. Boxing events like competitions are a great way to show support for the people you train with and connect with the wider community. Local community events are the backbone of boxing communities across the Gold Coast and even Australia-wide, and participating in these events is a great way to give back to the sport.
Experience the Benefits of Boxing for your Mind & Body
All things considered, boxing is an amazing training style for anyone looking to improve their health and fitness. Boxing training has a wide range of holistic benefits that makes it great for trainees at all levels. The physical benefits range from strength to cardiovascular; boxing training is a great addition to anyone’s program.
Boxing training also has mental health benefits, assisting with stress and anxiety. Through boxing you can make connections that will transcend the sport and find a community of amazing people. Because of the wide range of holistic benefits, boxing really is a sport that everyone should try. With so many diverse pros, you may find that boxing workouts is precisely what you need to fill any gaps in your own exercise routine.
