Boxing for Women: Surprising Physiological and Psychological Benefits – SwellWomen
It’s foolish to not recognize or limit the benefits of boxing to just men and not women. In fact, it’s not restricted to any gender at all. Any human being who wants to box can box and reap the same rewards.
While not all of us can be Laila or Muhammad Ali, we can all be regular champions in the lives of the people we care about. However, as anyone with any fighting experience knows, it takes more than just strength and stamina to be a champion.
Most of our battles with life, age, social, political, environmental, and other problems as well as nasty diseases and mental hazards prove that there are many fronts to defend.
We need our mental as well as physical and physiological health to be able to handle the stress that comes with it all. Which is exactly what boxing helps you do.
Here’s a couple of benefits of boxing for everyone that you might not know:
More Engaging Than Regular Workouts
We are all stuck with multiple roles that require us to fulfill various responsibilities for substantial durations.
Needless to say, there’s hardly any time to set aside for workouts for our physical health and stress-relieving activities to calm our minds down. Sure, exercising is fun and all but after a while, when it becomes routine, it’s hard to find running on a treadmill appealing.
Whereas, with boxing, you get the opportunity to not just work your whole body but also relieve stress in the process. Moreover, boxing is a much more stimulating experience than regular weight-lifting workouts.
If you like to go in the ring at some point, don’t worry about getting injuries as you won’t be getting in any ring without proper headgear to protect you. At least, that’s what’s recommended unless you’re looking for the real deal.
You’ll find that a round of boxing is more than just hitting your opponent and dodging their attacks. A lot of factors such as your concentration, anxiety and nervousness, confidence, strategic and physical competence and athleticism are important in determining how you’ll fare.
Regardless of what your life is outside of it, if you choose to be in the ring, it’ll be you, your opponent and four boxing gloves doing all the talking. Whoever is in the best physical and psychological condition will inevitably take the round.
There’s no doubt in the minds of the millions of fitness enthusiasts who have stayed updated with the latest research and studies that prove how boxing is one of the best full-body workouts for everyone.
From the outside perspective, it may seem like just a game of speed and power. However, to develop both of these, you have to move more than just your hands and head.
Being able to stand that long in the ring requires some intense cardio workouts as well as remarkable footwork which means working out your legs is of paramount importance.
Running goes hand in hand with boxing, enough to be referred to as roadwork which is a necessary part of a boxer’s workout routine, whether professional or recreational.
Boxing engages your whole body and in bouts, puts it to the test to determine its limitations and eventually helps in overcoming them. Suffice it to say, almost all boxers are in the best physical condition with appealing physiques that become public ideals.
This is because boxing involves endurance, resistance and strength training while encouraging HIIT cardio. Together, these forms of training are very effective in burning fat, carbs and calories while destroying your muscles to get them in a preferable lean shape.
Boxing is Effective for Self Defense
Self-defense is important in today’s world more than ever. While our smartphones give us the opportunity to have a record of what’s happening, they’re not going to tase an assailant. You will need to rely on your two hands and your body to get you out of intimidating or critical situations.
While boxing classes will teach you to never instigate or resort to violence until or unless it’s the last resort, it will certainly make sure to teach you to defend yourself against any unarmed assault.
Even a non-professional but regular boxer can knock people out with one or two punches. Once you know what you’re doing and where you need to hit, you’ll eventually get the power to knock people out cold should the need arise.
In today’s world, there are no specific criteria for human beings that are at risk of being assaulted at any given time. It’s not just women, LGBTQ+, men or even kids who should be boxing.
Many of us face anxiety and social issues pertaining to our sense of self. This is something boxing can help you with.
Although there aren’t belt divisions in boxing as is the trend in other forms of martial arts, a boxer can monitor their progress day to day and look at how fat they’ve come from day one.
The fact that you’re getting in shape while learning how to defend yourself means that you’re already doing way better than you were before. The fact that you’re also working on something that you’re passionate about is bound to have positive effects on your sense of self.
Inevitably, you will learn to let your steam out on the punching bags or in the ring and focus on your real-life problems with a calm and peaceful state of mind.
Boxers like Herschal Walker and Claressa Shields respectively prove that not only does your age have nothing to do with your fitness goals, but they also prove that you can do anything you set your mind to.
Boxing is a sport that can keep you on your feet and moving while helping your mind remain stable and focused to match and work against any hurdles that are becoming hurdles in your way.
Whether it’s for physical, physiological or psychological health and well-being, boxing proves to be the ideal fitness regime and sport for everyone, regardless of their age, gender, lifestyle, etc.
So, get your boxing gloves and shorts on and get to punching all your frustrations out!