When most people think of boxing, they think of two human beings punching each other until they’re both bleeding and delirious. While there is certainly an element of truth to this image of the sport, it doesn’t paint the entire picture.

The fact of the matter is that boxing offers a number of health and fitness benefits. Curious as to the benefits of boxing? Here are 8 that you should know.

1. It Promotes Cardiovascular Exercise

One of the keys to living a happy and healthy life is in getting cardiovascular exercise on a regular basis. Generally speaking, it’s recommended that you perform 30 to 45 minutes of medium-intensity cardio for 3 to 5 days a week.

There are many different types of cardiovascular exercise, some of the most popular of which are running, biking, and swimming. But what if you’re not into those activities? The answer is boxing.

Boxing promotes cardiovascular exercise in essentially all of its facets. Whether you’re hitting the speed bag, practising your footwork, or sparring with a training partner, you will experience cardiovascular benefits. These benefits include improved heart health, increased endurance, and, in some cases, weight loss.

2. It Promotes Strength Training

Not only does boxing promote cardiovascular exercise, but it also promotes strength training as well. Strength training is promoted through two means: 1. The boxing itself, and 2. The weight lifting needed to progress as a boxer.

Hitting the heavy bag (or an opponent) for extended periods of time works essentially every muscle in the body, but particularly targets the muscles in the back, shoulders, and core.

Weight training, on the other hand, hits every muscle equally. A combination of squats, power lifts, bench presses, shoulder presses, and other such exercises provides muscle mass to the entire body, helping boxers to improve both the strength and endurance of their muscles.

The benefits of strength training, you ask? In addition to facilitating a greater aesthetic for your body, it also improves the state of your bones, conditioning, and immune system.

3. It Improves Coordination

Do you have a hard time with balance? Are you looking to improve your coordination? If so, boxing will be of good use to you.

Boxing is a sport that requires equal use of the whole body. Not only does it require you to throw punches with both hands, but it also requires you to constantly move your feet as well. As such, by participating in boxing, you’re perpetually improving your coordination.

This is further facilitated by boxing’s core-strengthening capabilities. See, proper boxing form necessitates a strong and sturdy core. So, as you get farther into your boxing venture, your core strength will improve, allowing for greater balance overall.

4. It Creates Good Posture

Have a problem with standing up straight? Suffering from lower back problems? If so, boxing could be just the remedy you need.

Boxing is all about technique. By practising the techniques needed for good boxing, you will almost certainly improve your posture outside of the ring. Plus, as your training improves your core strength, you’ll have a much easier time of stabilising yourself.

5. It Improves Hand-Eye Coordination

Not only does boxing improve coordination of the body as a whole, but it also improves hand-eye coordination. This benefit arrives two-fold.

On one hand, learning how to quickly hit different spots from different angles will strengthen the relationship between your eyes and your hands. On the other hand, learning how to avoid punches from different angles will improve your peripheral vision as well as your reaction time.

This all adds up to improved hand-eye coordination and could go on to benefit you in other sports, including baseball, golf, cricket, tennis, and many others.

6. It Relieves Stress

Boxing isn’t just physically beneficial, but mentally beneficial as well. Not only does it help the body to release positive endorphins, but it also helps the body to suppress cortisol, the primary stress-causing hormone. In doing so, it offers substantial stress relief.

Going through a stressful time in your life? Bottling up a great deal of anger? There’s no better way to get it out than by getting in the gym and hitting the heavy bag.

7. It Builds Confidence

Feeling a little down in the dumps? Suffer from low self-esteem? Boxing could be just the thing you need.

A proven confidence-builder, boxing will substantially improve your belief in yourself. Whereas competing in the ring will help you to build up a powerful and persevering mindset, training in the gym will help to build up your body, making you more comfortable with the way you look.

Not to mention, getting involved in boxing is bound to make you some new friends. And the more friends you have, the more comfortable you’ll feel in your own skin.

8. It Makes You More Alert

Another health benefit of boxing is that it makes you more alert. This is so for two general reasons.

For one, it requires physical exercise, and because physical exercise increases energy levels, it almost always leads to increased alertness as well. For two, it requires you to react to your opponent; After all, if you don’t stay alert during a boxing match, you’re bound to catch a right hook.

This increased alertness will spread to other parts of your life as well. You’ll feel more awake and will be ready to take on whatever life throws at you.

Ready to Reap the Benefits of Boxing?

Are you intrigued by the benefits of boxing? Interested in reaping these benefits for yourself? If so, you should consider signing up for boxing classes.

Looking for boxing classes on the Gold Coast? Matrix Gym has you covered. The premier training gym on the Gold Coast’s north end, we offer boxing classes of all kinds.

Learn more about our boxing classes now!