6 Surprising Health Benefits of Boxing

Boxing is good for your heart health.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Even younger people are not safe from developing heart disease.

The best way to lower your risk? Eat right and exercise.

Speaking of exercise, fitness boxing is a type of aerobic exercise that is proven to lower your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and even diabetes. 

One of the things that make boxing so good for the heart is the act of punching. 

Even just a few minutes spent on the punching bag forces many of your muscles to contract at once. This makes your heart work extra to pump blood and supply oxygen to them. This form of cardiovascular workout trains your heart to work more efficiently and makes it stronger.

Boxing fuels your mind.

Boxing works wonders in improving your mental health.

• Stress relief

Physical activity is scientifically proven to elevate mood. But aside from stimulating the release of endorphins (the feel-good chemicals in your brain), another thing about boxing is that it helps release muscle tension caused by stress. You’re literally punching the stress away!

• Better focus

Boxing is a sport that requires a lot of focus, whether you're just doing a workout or sparring. It takes a lot of concentration and willpower to resist the blow, throw accurate punches, and get through the killer training workouts. 

As you progress in this sport, expect that your ability to focus (mindfulness) will also increase.

• Confidence

Lacking self-esteem? It’s time to hit the heavy bag.

Surviving those insane training sessions, developing a stronger physique, and feeling good can all boost your confidence levels. That’s the fighter’s spirit!

Boxing promotes better sleep quality.

According to research, 68% or an estimated 164 million Americans experience sleep problems at least once a week.

Poor sleep quality is linked to varying health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental health disorders.

Fortunately, many things are proven to promote better sleep. One of them is boxing.

Studies have found that consistent cardio workouts boost sleep quality and help people sleep faster. So, if you have insomnia, picking up a sport like boxing can greatly help.

Additionally, since boxing helps with stress relief, it helps make you feel more relaxed which is critical to having a good night’s sleep.

It will strengthen your bones.

If you think you're just working out your muscles when you box, you're wrong.

Boxing also positively impacts your bone health. In particular, it improves the mineral density of your bones.

Resistance training, which is part of boxing training, can help counter the loss of bone mineral density caused by sedentary behavior. 

While heavy bag training primarily works on the bones and joints of your hands, other exercises involved in boxing improves bone health in other parts of your body.

Boxing can help you maintain a healthy weight.

Many people do boxing to shed excess pounds. 

But even if you already reached your weight loss goals, this sport can still help you manage your weight. Since you are burning 400-700 calories in an hour of heavy bag training, you are less likely to put the weight back on. Of course, following a healthy, balanced diet is a must too.

Boxing promotes leaner, stronger muscles.

Even if you’re not looking to develop abs or become a bodybuilder, having strong muscles benefit your health in many ways.

Apart from helping you burn fats, strong muscles make you generally stronger, reduce your risk of injury, and helps you recover from injuries a lot faster. 

Boxing helps you achieve a balance between being quick and fast and being big and strong. Thanks to a mix of intense cardio and strength training exercises. 

Boxing targets all your major muscles, from your shoulders and arms to your core, legs, and calves.

And while it increases your muscle mass, boxing reduces your fat mass. As a result, you have a better body composition. 

See, boxing is a great sport that can make amazing changes to your health. If you want to become healthier, improve your heart health, strengthen your mind, improve your sleep quality, boost your bone health, maintain a healthy weight, and develop leaner, stronger muscles -  you should try boxing.

Embracing this fun and challenging sport can change your life.