From raising a sweat to building strength, upping your coordination to seeing results – when you’re short on time you want a single workout that ticks all the boxes.
One of your best options? Boxing. 12RND founder Tim West – who has qualifications in exercise science, sports coaching, and over 22 years of experience in the fitness industry – explains the five biggest benefits of boxing.
1. Long-term results
You see influencers like Jesinta Franklin and elite boxers such as Taylah Robertson and they are incredibly well toned. Not buff, but toned, which means that they have increased their lean muscle mass and decreased their fat mass. There is no such thing as targeted fat-loss so it is important to target your major muscle groups to create this lean muscle mass and promote long-term fat loss. Boxing is a full-body workout that incorporates strength and cardio, and quick, explosive movements to offer the right balance between effort and results. The variety in training like a boxer ensures that you are continually challenging your body to avoid plateauing and maintaining results.
2. Stress and mood regulation
Like other forms of exercise, boxing promotes the release of positive brain chemicals like endorphins while simultaneously helping to suppress stress-related hormones like cortisol. In addition to regular exercise and having a balanced diet to control blood sugar levels, it’s also important to address stress directly through physical activity. Many studies have proven that boxing has the ability to positively impact stress levels by releasing aggression in a controlled environment. If you are feeling particularly pent up, it’s a cathartic exercise that helps reorientate negative stress into a positive outlet leading to reduced tension and better sleep.
3. Boosts self-confidence
Feeling strong and powerful can do wonders for your self-confidence. Not only does boxing equip you with the strength and fitness to feel more confident, it provides you with a “winning mindset” that is likely to bring you more success inside and outside of the gym. Learning to strike, evade and defend effectively gives you confidence in your physical ability, too.
4. Improves balance, coordination and core strength
Everyone starts somewhere, and for anyone who boxes, they’ll recall the feeling of their first boxing session where it was like as if they had two right arms and two left feet. Boxing, like dancing, requires serious balance and coordination because of the relationship of the feet (footwork) and the hands (punching). To box, you need to coordinate both hands and feet in explosive, powerful movements while at all times staying balanced. That requires a rock solid core. The repetition and consistency in boxing allows you to master these elements at a rapid progression and continue to build those abilities overtime.
5. Enjoyable cardio
Cardio doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it can be the most enjoyable part of the workout if you incorporate a skill instead of just mindlessly pounding on a treadmill. Boxing is one of the most physically demanding sports on the planet so it is a great choice to burn calories fast, spike your metabolism and significantly improve cardiovascular health.
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