Is Boxing a Good Exercise?

Boxing is not just a great sport to watch, but it’s also a great exercise for anyone that starts boxing training, whether they intend to compete or simply want a fun way to stay in shape. So, how is boxing good for you and what parts of your body does it tone? Read on to find out!

Is Boxing Good for You?

Boxing is a great exercise and is beneficial to your physical and mental health in a number of ways

• Boxing works out your whole body
• Boxing is great cardio
• Boxing burns fat
• Boxing tones muscles
• Boxing relieves stress
• Boxing releases dopamine

Many people disregard boxing as a sport because when we see clips on the news, as a professional sport, it seems aggressive or violent, very energy-consuming and like it only works out your upper body, but these assumptions couldn’t be more wrong! Yes, professional boxers don’t always wear head or mouthguards and can get injured in competitions, but boxing for fun or fitness is not like this at all.

Boxing training involves practising punches on punching bags or a partner’s focus pads, or sparring with a partner; it’s about improving your own performance and increasing your heart rate to achieve your fitness goals. When hitting a punching bag or training with a partner, you’re using your whole body as the proper punching technique will shift your weight from your rear heel to your leading hand, engaging each muscle group from your feet to your hands in the process. Furthermore, 15 to 20-minute sessions on the punching bag will greatly raise your heart rate, meaning you’re burning calories, so if you’re eating a healthy, balanced diet, with boxing you can lose weight, burn belly fat and tone up your arms and abs.

How is Boxing Good for Mental Health?

Boxing is also a great way to exercise because it’s fun and stress-relieving. We all have tough days at work or school, difficult conversations with partners or friends, and encounter things day-to-day that get on our nerves. So what better way to relieve that stress and negative energy than repeatedly punching a cushioned mitt or heavy bag?! The intense exercise will cause your brain to release dopamine, making you feel satisfied with yourself and more positive about your previous concerns, and can help reduce symptoms of depression.

You can also train with a friend or partner to make it a more social activity so you can support one another and inspire each other on the days you feel less motivated.

Is Boxing Better than Running?

Some people prefer to unwind by sticking on their running shoes and hitting the pavement or treadmill, but running is tough on your knees so not a suitable exercise for everybody. You could say boxing is better than running because it’s a low-impact activity, so you can start boxing at any age, even if you have arthritis in your knees or other mobility issues. There’s no “right amount of power” to have in your shots, so just do your best and make sure you have the right equipment to reduce any risk of hand or wrist injuries.

What’s more, running can be difficult for people who want to lose weight, as a lot of weight can make running even tougher on your knees, ankles and heart, and many people feel self-conscious of their weight when doing such exercises. For boxing, you don’t need to be really fit to start. Anyone of any shape, size or age can start boxing and, if done regularly,  they’ll see great results in their bodies.

Can I Box for Weight Loss?

To lose weight, you need to achieve two things:

• Exercise regularly
• Eat healthily

Even if you exercise every day, if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning, you won’t lose weight; likewise, eating healthily and not exercising won’t help you lose weight either. So, for any sport or physical activity to help you lose weight, you first need to eat a healthy number of calories: that’s 2,000 calories for women and 2,500 for men per day, although this is general advice and you should factor in your height, build and any health conditions to know exactly how many calories you should be eating.

That said, boxing is an intense exercise that raises your heart rate, which burns calories quicker, so with a balanced diet, boxing is a great way to lose weight or stay in shape. Boxing alone won’t get you ripped or build bigger muscles, though, so if that’s your goal, you’ll need to do more than just boxing training.

How to Get a Boxer’s Physique

So how do boxers get so fit? Professional boxers will incorporate many different activities into their training, including running, skipping and weight lifting to improve their skills across different aspects of their performance. If you want to get a boxer’s physique, you’ll have to train like a boxer too.

Firstly, to get fighting fit you should be spending 30 minutes, 5 days a week boxing with punchbags and focus mitts, and a further 20 – 30 minutes, twice a week performing strength training exercises.

Strength training exercises include:

• Press-ups
• Pull-ups
• Sit-ups
• Crunches
• Plank
• Tricep dips
• Squats
• Lunges

A bonus of strength training exercises is that you don’t need any equipment, your own body weight is enough to provide sufficient resistance to the exercises to increase muscle mass. This boxing training schedule will help you gain muscle, burn fat, lose weight, and improve your boxing performance. If you already perform these exercises but want to increase your muscle mass further, you can add weights such as dumbbells and weighted jackets to your training to increase the resistance.

Can You Box at Home?

While boxing is already a great exercise for your body and soul, it’s even more beneficial than other sports as you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Either shadow boxing without any equipment, or investing in a punching bag, boxing gloves and focus mitts for your at-home gym, it’s never been easier to get fit boxing at home.

What Do You Need to Box at Home?

Essentially, to box at home you just need enough space to swing your arms, but having a room clear of obstacles will help prevent any injuries and damage to your belongings. Some people prefer to train in their gardens or make home boxing gyms in their garages, while other people prefer to push the dining table out of the way and bring in the punching bag – however you prefer to do it, you can definitely box at home.

Some of the most practical and popular choices for at-home boxers are:

• Boxing gloves and handwraps
• Heavy hanging punching bags
• Free-standing punching bags
• Focus pads

Whether you hit a punching bag filled with sand or water, or just hit the cushioned focus pads, you need to have the right pair of boxing gloves to protect your hands and wrists from injury. However, which punching bag you choose depends on the space you have and whether you have permission from the homeowner to make changes to the property. Heavy hanging bags provide a great workout, but they require installation into the ceiling or wall so aren’t the best choice for renters. Free-standing punching bags are a great alternative as they can be put away when not needed and still provide a great workout.

Focus pads require a training partner to hold them, so they can be great for people wanting to train together, but can’t be used by solo boxers, so think about how you want to train before you make any investments.

Buy the Best Boxing Equipment

At Maxx Pro Boxing, we want to help everyone reap the benefits of boxing as an exercise, which is why we stock the UK’s best boxing equipment. Stay safe boxing at home with our protective gear and boxing gloves