Getting closer to Christmas may have you overindulging in good, nutritious foods as well as sweets, cakes, and shortbreads. When the New Year draws in, you might write up a new year’s resolution list with fitness and health as a top priority. Boxing is the best New Year’s resolution to help you get in shape.
Improve health and keep you in shape
Running on a treadmill to meet your fitness goal is a tedious activity that could have you fall back on your goals. You should consider boxing because it is fun and exciting and a great way to stay fit and in shape. It is more than hooks, uppercuts, and jabs as it is a cardio exercise that works your heart and lungs, making it perfect for boosting cardiovascular health. When you punch that bag, your muscles contract all at once, causing your heart to pump more blood and oxygen, giving your body the workout it needs.
Boxing is also a strength training exercise that will help you build muscle and burn fat. During a session of boxing, you work your arms, back, oblique, and core. Doing it consistently with a good diet will help you tone your body.
Boxing is beneficial for strong bones and joints. As you get older, you need stronger bones and joints for overall wellbeing. Boxing gets you on your feet and puts more weight on your legs and knees. Striking that punch will work your elbows, shoulders, and the rest of your arm.
Boxing relieves stress
There are numerous ways to manage stress. You could choose to use different breathing techniques, meditation, cold therapy, listening to music or let out the frustration on a punching bag. Boxing requires controlled aggression in a safe environment and is a safe way to channel your energy effectively in a way that does not harm yourself and others. It also offers many mental benefits, bringing about natural tension relief during a session. When you get into the ring and start punching, you let out the anger and anxieties that bother you. Through this physical activity, your body releases chemicals in the brain that make you feel happy. Using boxing to let out anger and frustration is healthy, not violent.
Improve coordination
Boxing requires you to focus on your arms, your target, feet, and hands. Aiming your punches at the bag requires perfect hand-eye coordination. Other exercises that encourage effective boxing are jumping rope, shadowboxing, and speedbags, which improve coordination.
Confidence
When you are doing the best that you can to get in shape, your self-esteem increases. Having a boxer’s body will likely make you feel better mentally and physically, gaining greater confidence.
Self-defence
Self-defence skills are non-negotiable for both children and adults. Different sports can help you defend yourself when the need arises, but boxing is the most effective. You can protect yourself in a standup position using your hands, footwork, and head movement. If your intention is not to injure your opponent, you can defend yourself by blocking the punches they throw at you and using your footwork to create distance between you.
Boxing teaches you to withstand pain
After several sessions, you will find that you can withstand pain more than you ever imagined. You will have a higher threshold due to the punches and training; the pain will teach you endurance. You should stay consistent and make boxing your lifestyle no matter how hard the exercise becomes.
Find new friends
Boxing offers tournaments that involve travelling to different places. Through those tournaments, you meet people from different backgrounds and develop long-lasting friendships. You compete with them in the ring, and when you lose, you are encouraged to offer respect.
Starting boxing can be challenging. However, the small goals you achieve will give you the confidence to keep going and do better. It is a sport not exclusive to elite athletes and professional boxers – people of all ages and abilities enjoy it.