Boxing

Looking out for your health means both picking up a healthy diet and keeping your body active. The latter can be done with an enjoyable sport, specifically, boxing. Here are some reasons why boxing is such a good exercise.

Benefits of Boxing

Boxing is a sport that makes your body work. It moves your whole body which makes it a great exercise. Like any other sport, it has benefits that can convince you to get into the sport.

  • It improves hand-eye coordination by working on skills such as how to dodge punches, where to land your punches and the like.
  • It exercises the whole body.
  • It can be a stress reliever by letting all your negative emotions out on a punching bag.
  • It also exercises your mind by making you think fast on your feet.
  • It is a mix of two different exercises: resistance training and cardio. It is a good exercise to help you keep in shape.

Body Parts Boxing Works On

Just like any other types of workout, you would want to know what parts of your body your exercise is working on. It was mentioned earlier in the article that the boxing exercises your whole body. Would you believe that it works on 8 major parts of your body? These 8 majors body parts are your arms, shoulders, lower back, abs, core, hips, legs, and calves.

Boxing promotes your muscles to grow as it is a mix of resistance training and cardio exercise. So if you are looking for an all-around, sweat-busting exercise, boxing is the sport for you.

Equipment Needed for Boxing

You don’t have to purchase expensive items to start your journey in boxing. Here are some of the basic things you need for the sport:

  • Boxing Gloves

These are the most important. There are two types of gloves which are bag gloves and boxing gloves. Bag gloves have lesser padding and are designed only for boxing pads and punching bags. Boxing gloves have more padding and are used for sparring and training.

The weight of your glove relies on how heavy you are. If you are lighter than 147 pounds, you get a glove that is 12 ounces. If your weight is in the range of 147 to 175 pounds, your glove should be 14 ounces. If you are heavier than 175 pounds, the weight of your glove should be 16 ounces.

For kids aged 6 years old to 12 years old and are lighter than 147 pounds, they should get an 8-ouncepair of gloves.

  • Boxing Hand Wraps

These protect your wrists from injury such as spraining them. TheBoxingGear reviewed which are the best boxing hand wraps available on the market.

  • Headgear

    This piece of equipment protects your head from getting cuts and scrapes but will not block the force of a hit.

 

  • Mouth Guard

This protects your teeth from chipping or breaking from punches to the face and also prevent your lips from splitting which usually happens when they hit your teeth.

  • Protectors

When sparring, you know you will get hit even on sensitive parts. Groin protectors for men and chest protectors for women help prevent unwanted hits.

  • Body Protector

This helps you protect yourself from hits aimed at the body. Any punch in boxing is dangerous.That is why you have to keep yourself protected. This will also help you practice your body shots when training.

Tips on your First Day of Boxing Training

It’s natural to get nervous on your first day of boxing training. Here are some tips to help you feel prepared during your training:

  1. Relax and be comfortable. Everyone started out as an amateur. Have fun!
  2. Do not go on a full stomach. It is advised to not exercise on a full stomach because you would not be able to reach maximum effectiveness. A banana is a good snack if you need to eat as it gives you a boost of energy.
  3. You will jump rope. It may seem odd if you have no prior knowledge about the sport, but boxers always incorporate jump rope as part of the training.
  4. Expect a sore body afterward. Just like any exercise, your body will feel sore after your first training, most especially if you are new to the sport.
  5. Practicing your form is a basic must. The force you muster in a punch comes from your whole body and not your hands. You have to be light on your feet as well because you have to be agile.

Conclusion

Boxing is a good start whether you want to take up a new skill or just want a different kind of exercise. I hope this article has helped you see why boxing is such a good exercise and has given you new information on how to start.