8-Minute Cool Down Static Stretching Routine For Boxing

Incorporating stretching exercises into your boxing routine is key for improving your muscle flexibility. Often, people focus on dynamic stretching for boxing warmups, but static boxing stretching exercises as a cool down are equally as important.

Why Do Boxers Stretch?

Pre- and post-workout stretching routines are extremely important for boxing training. Depending on the level of intensity of your boxing workout, you should plan to stretch for at least 5 minutes. Your muscles need to warm up and stretching helps prevent injuries.

How Do I Stretch For Boxing?

There are many stretching exercises for boxing that are extremely beneficial.

Before a workout, it’s best to do dynamic stretching that engages your muscles in light movement, preparing them for a workout. Some common examples of dynamic stretches include:

• Leg swings

• Shuffling from side to side

• The Lunge Walk

After a workout, static stretching, where you pull your muscles to stretch them, is the best way to wind down. Some of the most common examples of static stretches are:

• The Butterfly Stretch

• Overhead Tricep Stretch

• Cobra Pose

Stretching for boxing is about relaxing your muscles, rather than working them. You should never feel pain or serious discomfort when stretching. A pulling sensation is normal and what you should be aiming for.

8-Minute Cool Down Stretch Routine

Here, FightCamp trainer Shanie “Smash” takes you through a cool down stretching routine that anybody can do following a tough boxing workout in order to relax your muscles. During all the following exercises, be sure to slowly breathe in and out while performing the movements.

Stretch 1: Shoulder Pull

• Take your right arm and pull it across your chest with your left arm

• Hold your right arm and hold for at least 20 seconds

• Switch arms and hold for another 20 seconds

Stretch 2: Tricep Pull

• Pull your right arm behind your head so that your right elbow is pointed towards the sky

• Keep your arm in place with your left arm

• Release after 20 seconds and switch to your left arm

Stretch 3: Chest Pull

As a note, this next stretch works best if you have a boxing punching bag, but a wall will also help you perform this stretch if you do not:

• Position yourself so that your bag or wall is directly next to the right side of your body

• Lift your right arm out to the side and grab onto the wall or bag

• Without releasing, slowly tilt your body away from your arm and feel the stretch in your right pectoral muscle and bicep

• Hold for at least 20 seconds and switch arms

Stretch 4: Standing Quad Pull

• From a standing position, lift and bend your right leg backward at the knee

• Grab your right foot behind you with your right hand and pull your leg slightly to stretch

• Hold for 20 seconds and switch legs

*Feel free to use a bag or wall to balance yourself for this stretch.

Stretch 5: Knee To Chest Pull

• Lift your right leg again, but bend your leg up towards your chest and grab your knee with both your hands

• Pull your leg as close to your chest as possible and hold for 20 seconds

• Switch legs and perform the same movement

Stretch 6: Leg Over Knee

For beginners, it’s best to have a bag or wall next to you to balance:

• Lift your right leg up and bend down with your left leg

• Grab your right leg with both your hands and gently set it on top of your bent left leg at the knee

• You should be bent down far enough that your right leg is at a 90-degree angle perpendicular to your left leg

• Hold for 20 seconds and switch legs

Stretch 7: Hands To the Floor

• From a standing position, spread both your legs about 2-3x shoulderwidth apart

• Bend at your waist until your hands are planted firmly on the ground

• Let gravity pull you down, and then lean towards your right leg, grabbing at your calf

• Hold for about 20 seconds and lean towards your left side and repeat the hold

Stretch 8: The Butterfly

• Sit down on the ground and bring the bottoms of your feet together, so that your legs are pointing out to the side

• Bend forward at the waist and aim to get your head as close to your toes as possible--keep your back as flat as possible to reduce strain

• Hold for 20 seconds and release

Stretch 9: One Leg In, One Leg Out

• From a sitting position, extend your right leg out in front of you

• Pull your left foot inward against your right thigh

• Bend forward and try to reach as far as you can toward your right toes

• Hold for 20 seconds and switch legs

Stretch 10: Reach For Your Toes

• Sit down and extend both of your legs out in front of you

• Bend at your waist and reach as far forward as you can toward your toes

• Remember to breathe and hold this stretch for at least 20 seconds

Stretch 11: Sit Back Rest

• Start this stretch from all fours as if you were about to go into a push-up position

• Without moving your hands from their position, sit back and try to get your glutes as close as possible to the heels of your feet

• From this position, try to crawl forward with your fingertips without lifting your glutes or legs

• Hold for 20 seconds and release

After finishing this final stretch, slowly bring yourself to a standing position and shake out your body. Take a deep breath in and slowly breathe out.

Great work! You completed this stretching routine and your muscles should feel a little more relaxed. Stay up to date with the FightCamp YouTube channel for similar stretching and boxing workouts, and feel free to visit FightCamp for boxing accessories that can transform your training today.

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