17 Benefits Of Boxing That You Should Know

If you’re looking for a great way to spend a Saturday night, how about having your buddies around, throwing a few beers in the fridge, ordering pizza and wings, and settling down in front of the TV to enjoy a boxing match?

Boxing is one of the most popular sports in the world, but it isn’t just spectators that can benefit from boxing, it turns out that you can too.

That’s why we’re looking at several amazing benefits of boxing in today’s article.

Whereas in the past people saw boxing as a bloodthirsty sport, in truth it is a gentleman’s sport that requires a great deal of self-control, motivation, hard work, dedication, and much more besides.

If you thought that boxing was simply a matter of ruthlessly punching your opponent into submission, hopefully after this article, things will become a whole lot clearer.

There are plenty of different sports and activities out there to get involved with, yet it has to be said that boxing is definitely one of the most beneficial, and not just from a fitness perspective either.

A Brief History Of Boxing:

Before we can look at the benefits, let us first travel back in time to learn more about the origins of this physical, yet surprisingly noble sport.

Origins:

To trace the true origins of boxing, we need to go back in time to the dawn of man.

Since the dawn of time, mankind has been fighting with one another, though obviously back then this was more of a primitive form of survival, rather than an actual sport.

The first written recording of boxing, however, can be traced back to ancient Egypt, around 3000 BC.

From a sporting perspective, boxing was a brutal public spectacle, that can be traced back to, you guessed it, ancient Greece.

Here, two fighters would sit down facing each other, with both of their fists wrapped tightly in tough leather material.

Now they would basically just punch each other in the face and head until the other either got knocked out or died.

Yep, we told you it was brutal.

In 393 AD, this form of boxing was abolished as it was thought to be far too brutal and savage.

Although people would of course still fight with their fists, boxing didn’t make a reappearance for quite some time.

The Comeback:

Like many a famous boxer over the decades, the sport itself made a triumphant comeback, though not for many centuries.

It was not until the 16^th Century in London that boxing returned.

Boxing is considered a noble sport that is, ironically, a gentleman’s sport.

The reason for this is that, back in London, boxing was a way for wealthy aristocrats to settle disputes.

Soon, people began placing bets on which fighter they expected to win.

This is actually where the term ‘prize fighter’ originated.

Titles And Rules:

The world’s first recognized Heavyweight Champion was a man named James Figg, way back in 1719.

As the sport progressed, rules were adapted for boxing and in 1743, a man who went by the name of John Broughton came up with a set of rules to make the sport fairer.

Broughton banned fighters from hitting an opponent on the ground or pulling their hair.

These rules were standard practice in boxing for many, many years, up until 1838 in fact.

In 1838, the Original London Prize Ring Rules took over until the Queensbury rules in 1857.

It was these rules that really elevated boxing.

Here, rules placed an emphasis on technical skill and ability, rather than brute force, power, and aggression.

It was these rules which really started to show people that boxing wasn’t savage and barbaric.

Fighters no longer fought with bare knuckles, there was no wrestling, no bear hugging, no fighting an unprotected opponent, no biting, and no hair pulling.

Boxing In The Modern Era:

As the years ticked by, rules were tweaked somewhat, but at its core, boxing remained the same.

By the 20^th century, boxing had become a hugely popular spectator sport that was also popular amongst gamblers.

In particular, boxing was hugely popular in the UK and the USA. Boxers such as Muhammad Ali, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, Frank Bruno, Lennox Lewis, Marvin Haggler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Chris Eubank, and many more besides, all helped to elevate boxing to enormous heights over the decades, making it one of the most lucrative sports in existence.

The Health Benefits Of Boxing:

If you’re thinking of lacing up your gloves, here are 17 brilliant benefits.

Benefits #1: Boxing Improves Your Cardiovascular Health

One of the main benefits is the fact that it helps to improve your cardiovascular health.

Boxing is a fantastic form of cardio that helps to strengthen the walls of your heart, it strengthens the heart, helps to boost circulation, and it will leave you less susceptible to heat-related health issues such as heart disease and heart attack.

As heart disease is the world’s number 1 killer, this shows just how important boxing really is for the heart.

Benefits #2: Boxing Is Great For Fat Loss

If you want another reason to take up boxing, wait until you learn just how great it is for losing fat.

Boxing is a wonderful form of cardio exercise, as we just looked at, which means that it helps to promote a significant amount of calorie burn and fat loss.

One hour of boxing has the potential to easily burn off 1000 calories, if not more, depending on the intensity of your training of course.

If you’re looking for ways of burning fat and getting in shape in the process, boxing is perfect.

Benefits #3: Boxing Is Great Stress Relief

Stress is one of the world’s biggest killers, due largely to the fact that it can lead to so many other serious health issues that could potentially be fatal.

Stress causes heart attacks, hypertension, strokes, mental health issues, and a whole lot more besides.

Boxing is ideal because it serves as a fantastic natural stress buster.

If you’re feeling wound up and stressed, boxing and also kickboxing is ideal as it allows you to release any pent-up anger and aggression in a safe and controlled manner.

So, if you’re feeling stressed and wound up, what better way to relieve some anger than bashing the heck out of a punching bag?

Benefits #4: Boxing Helps To Increase Muscle Tone

Not only will boxing help you to burn fat, but it will also help you to increase your lean muscle tone as well.

When you consider the muscles involved in throwing punches, jabs, hooks, uppercuts, and combinations, along with the footwork involved in dodging punches and attacks, it’s easy to see why the muscles respond so favorably.

Each time you use a muscle you’re working it, and gradually, as time goes by, you’ll find your muscles looking more toned and defined.

Not only that but as you lose fat as well, this too will help you to look leaner.

Benefits #5: Boxing Teaches Discipline

Another of the awesome benefits which we need to cover is the fact that boxing has been found to teach discipline.

Boxing is great for teaching discipline because you need to be committed to your training, and you need to be committed to your game plan.

Boxing teaches you not to lose your cool and fly off the handle because if you do, your sparring partner will make you pay.

Boxing for beginners | Training techniques Episode 1 | Mike Rashid

Boxing is great because it helps you to keep your temper when being hit, which is obviously something that a lot of people would struggle with.

This isn’t just great for the sport, but it’s a great carry-over into everyday life as well.

Benefits #6: Boxing Teaches Self Defense

 When talking about the brilliant benefits, another consideration is the fact that boxing will teach self-defense.

Now, hopefully, you will never actually need to put your boxing training to good use, but if you do, at least it’s there.

Boxing will teach you how to throw punches, and how to block and avoid attacks.

Obviously, the most sensible thing to do in a confrontation is run away, but if that isn’t an option, knowing how to box and how to throw a proper punch could prove beneficial for you, or indeed for somebody else.

Benefits #7: Boxing Is A Fun Way To Get In Shape

If you want to get fitter and burn fat in the process, normally you’d hop on treadmills or go running around the block, and would jog for X amount of minutes and repeat several times per week.

Don’t get us wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it’s hardly fun.

If you’re after a fun and exciting way to get in shape, boxing is the perfect sport to take up.

Because of the fact that there are so many elements associated with boxing, and because of how it is carried out, boxing is a great activity for people to take up who are looking for fun ways of getting fit.

Benefits #8: Boxing Improves Physical Fitness

On the subject of boxing and getting fit, another of the amazing benefits is the fact that boxing improves your physical fitness.

Boxing increases your VO2 max levels, allowing you to take in and utilize more oxygen when working out before you fatigue.

It also enables you to exercise for longer before you begin to feel tired and suffer from lactic acid build-ups.

Boxing is a fantastic sport for improving aerobic fitness, stamina, endurance, vascularity, and lung capacity.

Benefits #9: Boxing Improves Circulation

One of the lesser-known benefits is the fact that it has been found to improve circulation.

Boxing increases circulation which enables more oxygenated blood to flow around the body, where it can then be used to nourish the major organs and cells as it sees fit.

Benefits #10: Boxing Improves Athletic Performance

Not only is boxing an awesome solo sport, but it’s also a great activity for people to take up who are looking for benefits that carry over into other sports and pastimes.

Boxing increases speed, strength, stamina, and endurance, which will all be useful when taking part in various other sports and pastimes.

Not only that but it also increases circulation, this will allow more oxygen to be transported around the body which means that your muscles will have more energy when training.

Benefits #11: Boxing Improves Mental Health

Boxing, and indeed various other sports and physical activities, work wonders for people looking to improve their mental health.

Physical exercise is great because it helps to promote an increase in endorphins which lift the mood and promote feelings of happiness, confidence, and relaxation.

Boxing is a prime example of this as it can help you to feel happier and more comfortable in your own skin.

What’s more, as it is so demanding, once the adrenaline has worn off after you train, you’ll find yourself feeling more relaxed and you’ll likely get to sleep much easier as a result.

Benefits #12: Boxing Boosts Hand-eye Coordination

 If you’re not the most coordinated of individuals, boxing is the perfect activity to take up.

Boxing has been found to improve your hand-eye coordination because you need to ensure that your punches land where they need to land, and that you are able to avoid your opponent’s punches in the process.

My First Attempt at the Reflex Ball

Not only will this improve hand-eye coordination, but you’ll also find that your reactions and reflexes speed up as well.

Benefits #13: Boxing Will Help You To Meet New People

If you learn boxing, you’ll likely have to be taught by a coach or take part in a class at a boxing gym.

Either way, you’ll still meet new people.

Boxing is a great sport for people looking to meet new people and get out there, and who knows, you may even make friends for life or possibly even meet a new partner.

If you’re looking to enhance your social life, boxing is the perfect sport for you to take up.

Benefits #14: Boxing Strengthens Bones And Joints

Another brilliant benefit that we must look at today is the fact that boxing has been found to strengthen bones and joints.

Boxing helps to increase bone mineral density which can protect against osteoporosis and other degenerative bone diseases that can affect you later on in life.

Not only that, but it will also strengthen your joints, which again will help to prevent conditions that may affect your joints and result in pain and discomfort, along with a lack of mobility.

Benefits #15: Boxing Increases Your Reaction Times And Reflexes

We touched upon this benefit a little earlier, but now we’ll look at it in a great deal more detail.

Another amazing benefit is the fact that boxing has been found to increase and improve your reflexes and your reaction times.

When you’re in the boxing ring, if somebody’s trying to punch you, your natural instincts will kick in and tell you to move, and after a while, dodging punches and jabs will come as second nature to you.

Now, reflexes and reactions will have sped up hugely and you’ll be able to react quicker and dodge quicker.

Again, this won’t just help you out in boxing, it will also carry over into everyday life too.

Benefits #16: Boxing Teaches You A Sport

If you feel as if you’ve missed your calling in life, or if you simply want to feel as if you have a purpose and something to aim for, boxing is ideal.

Boxing is a sport in which you will get progressively better with each training session.

You’ll learn the basic fundamentals of the sport and over time, as time passes by, the more you practice, the more you will learn, and the better you will become.

It doesn’t matter whether you just want something to do a few nights per week after work, or if you’re looking to commit yourself to a sport to be the best version of yourself you can possibly be, boxing will certainly have you covered.

Benefits #17: Boxing Strengthens Your Core

It may be a bit of a cliché, but when you see boxers training, they’ll do exercises such as jumping jacks, jumping rope with a weighted vest, stomach crunches, and sit-ups while having medicine balls thrown at their stomachs.

Some of them will even take heavy shots to the core at the same time.

Boxing, because of the training and the movement involved in the sport, is fantastic for people who are looking to strengthen their cores.

A strong core not only means you will become more grounded and more stable, but it also means you’ll be stronger and more functional too.

If your body fat percentages drop low enough as well, you’ll also find that boxing will help you achieve that six-pack you’ve lusted over for so long.

Final Thoughts:

And with that, we approach the final round which means that we need to bring this look at the brilliant benefits of boxing to a close.

Hopefully, you’ve found the info in this article useful and insightful, and hopefully, if you have been thinking of taking up boxing for a while now, this will be what was needed to give that little bit of a nudge.