7 Reasons Why Boxing Is The Best Workout For You

7 Reasons Why Boxing Is The Best Workout For You

Regardless of your fitness goal, boxing and kickboxing can help you make progress, and FightCamp can help make it fun along the way!

Published: February 17, 2022

Topics: Boxing, Training

Author: FightCamp Team

Boxing and kickboxing workouts are addictive. At FightCamp, we know that sometimes getting in a workout can be a grind, so we're here to make it fun! Need more convincing to get started? Here are seven (7) reasons why boxing is the best workout for you.

7 Reasons Why You Should Start Boxing

1. Improves Sleep Quality

After an intense workout and a well-balanced meal, getting a solid night's sleep comes much more easily. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can push your body. The more you are pushed, the more tired you'll be at the end of the day. Doing boxing, kickboxing, and other forms of HIIT workouts will help improve your sleep quality on a daily basis.

  • HIIT workouts can tire you out more easily, leading to an easier night's sleep

  • Your body needs sleep to recover, the more you push it during a boxing workout, the more your body will need to recover

  • We know that moderate aerobic exercise increases the amount of slow wave sleep you get

  • People who engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise may see an improvement in sleep quality

FightCamp Trainer Shanie Smash

"When you box, your brain releases endorphins that relieve stress. Boxing will help you fall asleep faster and improve your overall quality of sleep, allowing your body to recover faster."

- Shanie "Smash", FightCamp Trainer

2. Enhances Mood, Reduces Stress and Mental Illness

Boxing is known to be beneficial to physical and mental health. Studies have shown that being physically active improves your mental state. Just 15 minutes of moderately intense exercise can lift your mood, instantly triggering your brain's feel-good chemicals and acting as a powerful antidepressant. Staying active is essential in fostering better mental health. Boxing offers the perfect opportunity to combine physical activity with mental training.

  • Boosts confidence and self-esteem

  • Punching helps to relieve muscle tension that develops when you experience stress

  • Helps increase production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins

  • Boxing requires you to focus on each combination, allowing you to concentrate on the present moment and help clear your mind

FightCamp Trainer Coach PJ

"Boxing requires focus. While training, you have to be task oriented, so you're present and engaged. Giving your mind a challenge leads to the effect of reduced stress. There is nothing better than finishing a great boxing workout. So many factors, such as speed, balance, power, endurance & mental focus, come into play as you punch through your goals. Boxing requires a lot, but it also rewards with a lot. Working your mind, and your body, there is truly no better way to enhance your mood."

- Coach PJ Shirdan, FightCamp Trainer

3. Increases Alertness & Improves Focus

Not only are boxers getting the benefits of high-intensity exercise, but they also get a mental challenge.

When you are doing a complex combo and you have multiple steps to execute, you have to be focused. Controlling your hand speed, footwork, head movement, etc. involves a high level of mental focus and awareness. This level of focus requires you to have a clear mind during your workout which can carry over into the rest of your day.

  • The mental challenge posed by complex boxing drills provides even more benefits for your brain, potentially improving reaction time and working memory

  • Moderate to high-intensity workouts instantly boost brain power

  • Studies show trying to hit a target with your hands improves eye-hand coordination, which as a result can make you feel more alert and attentive

  • Boxing requires you to be present in the moment, with an awareness of yourself and your surroundings

FightCamp Trainer Aaron Swenson

"Boxing is 50% physical, 50% mental. It requires your undivided attention as you memorize combinations, react on command, and refine your technique."

- Aaron Swenson, FightCamp Trainer

4. Burns 25-30% More Calories Than Other Workouts

Boxing, kickboxing, and HIIT workouts can burn 25-30% more calories than other traditional workouts.

  • Boxing is an extremely effective workout in terms of the number of calories burned in a 30-minute session

  • Participants burned an average of 482 caloriesduring an 8-round FightCamp workout

  • Men burned about 40% more calories than women

  • Men burned an average of 595 calories during the workout

  • Women burned an average of 369 calories during the workout

FightCamp Trainer Rocky Harris

"Boxing is a dual cardio & conditioning-driven workout that requires your full body. With the basic punches alone, you will work different planes of motion & enhance your athleticism."

- Rocky Harris, FightCamp Trainer

5. Boosts Endurance

When done on a regular basis, boxing, kickboxing, and other forms of HIIT workouts can help improve your endurance.

Endurance is an important part of your health. Improving your endurance keeps your lungs, heart, and circulatory system healthy. And of course, the better your endurance, the better your output.

  • High-intensity workouts improve maximal oxygen uptake which can help improve your endurance

  • These workouts can improve your cardiac capacity and your lactate threshold, helping improve your endurance

FightCamp Co-Founder & Trainer Tommy Duquette

"In a boxing workout, your heart rate rises and recovers during the rounds and rests between rounds. This type of high-intensity cardiovascular training builds your overall endurance in a very efficient way."

- Tommy Duquette, FightCamp Trainer

6. Strengthens Muscles Throughout Your Body

In boxing, your punching power comes from your entire body.

You must rely on your core strength, leg strength, balance, and endurance. From throwing a cross and ensuring proper hip turn, to slipping using your core and ducking using your legs, you have to use both small and large muscle groups all over the body.

  • Boxers use their legs to propel their punches

  • Strengthening your core muscles helps with stability, balance, and control of your punches

  • Boxing workouts often include exercises to improve shoulder strength and endurance

FightCamp Trainer Jess Evans

"Boxing strengthens the muscles in your entire body because the power starts from from ground and moves its way up. The power generated starts at your feet, then calves, legs, hips, core, arms, chest and shoulders, creating a full body resistance with each strike."

- Jess Evans, FightCamp Trainer

7. Improves Coordination & Balance

Boxing and kickboxing challenge your baseline balance to help improve coordination.

The movements during a boxing and kickboxing workout, and through HIIT exercises improve your sense of balance, agility, and coordination.

  • Challenges baseline balance

  • Footwork and stance are two extremely important parts of boxing and kickboxing

  • Helps bring awareness to both your upper and lower body

FightCamp Trainer Flo Master

"Boxing improves coordination because you have to be able to move your feet and your arms at the same time."

- Flo Master, FightCamp Trainer

Get to know FightCamp boxing and kickboxing at home: https://joinfightcamp.com and download the FREE FightCamp App on iOS or Android.

FightCamp Team

The FightCamp Team is in your corner, curating the latest in at-home boxing, kickboxing, and fitness training. With up-to-date and expert-level information from workouts, boxing tips and technique, wellness and nutrition, and fight news, our goal is to help you find the fighter within!

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