6 Of The Most Amazing Benefits Of Boxing For Women
When we think of boxing, most people think of two sweaty, hench men throwing punches at each other in a boxing ring until one of them is wrecked. I’ll admit, this image is pretty off-putting. But boxing doesn’t have to be a fearful contact sport that we shy away from. Boxing has so many physical and mental advantages, especially for women, and it a great all-rounder exercise. Nowadays gyms and fitness clubs are aware of the fact that some women may not be overly keen on working out in the same classes as body-building men, so there are loads of female only classes and gyms to join if this is something you would prefer, and this is also the case with boxing classes. So, if you have considered starting up boxing and just need an extra push to join that boxing class, here are 6 amazing benefits of boxing for women that will hopefully inspire you to take the plunge.
1. Tone Up.
One of the great physical benefits of boxing for women is that it is an amazing way to tone up your body, especially your arms, legs and core areas. The repetitive upper body movements and good punching technique which comes from the back will streamline your body and tone your torso, while the ducks, dives and lunges will do amazing things for your legs. The constant punching will also work out your arms, so boxing is great if you want to tone up your body. Boxing is a high repetitive workout, which means that you will be toning rather than building muscle making it the perfect workout for those of us who want our arms, legs and abs to be a little more defined.
2. Self-Defence.
The benefits of boxing are a great exercise for women because it is a great form of self-defence, which is definitely an amazing skill for anyone to have. With this newly acquired skill, you will feel much more confident to assert and defend yourself if necessary, not only in physical situations, but also in situations in which you would have previously remained passive. You will also learn to improve your diligence, perseverance and courage in your training sessions which will help you outside the gym to overcome certain challenges. So there is no doubt that boxing is great for self-confidence and to help you have a greater sense of self-security.
3. Stress Relief.
One of the greatest benefits of boxing is that it is an incredible stress relief. I mean, they don’t sell stress balls for no reason. A great way to cope with and release stress that builds up in our everyday lives is to let it out physically and boxing is a safe and controlled way in which to do this.You won’t believe what wonders repeatedly punching a heavy bag will do for your frustration, stress and/or anxiety. Moreover, intense physical activity releases endorphins which will improve your mood and encourage feeling of happiness, so if you are easily stressed or find that you are someone who is unable to switch off after work, boxing could be a great solution for you.
4. Fat Burning.
Boxers are constantly on their feet, either jumping around avoiding their opponent or kicking and punching. Whether you are doing contact boxing or a non-contact session, you are guaranteed to be constantly moving which means that your heart rate will be kept elevated and that you will be burning fat and consuming more calories at a high rate. Add a handful of kicks and punches to the mix and you will be doing a high-intensity session, burning up to 600 calories in a one-hour session!
5. Increase Your Strength.
More importantly than burning fat, boxing will also help you to increase your strength and keep your body in optimum health. The constant and repetitive movements that boxing involves will strengthen the muscles, joints, and bones all over your body, allowing you to improve the quality of your workouts which in turn will help you burn more calories. So if you are looking for an amazing strength training workout, boxing could be the one for you.
6. Healthy Heart.
While most of us focus on the visible benefits of exercise and how physically fit we are becoming, the main benefit of exercise is that exercise keeps us healthier for longer. The best way to do this is to strengthen your heart by raising your heart-rate while doing vigorous activity for a minimum of 75 minutes per week. Boxing is the perfect exercise for strengthening your heart as it keeps you constantly moving and can be quite a challenging exercise if you reach a higher level. A healthier heart will lower your risk of developing cardiovascular problems such as strokes and heart attacks, so will greatly improve your future health.
