There are numerous mindful techniques we hear of that positively influence our well-being and reduce our stress, but have you ever thought that boxing could be one of them? Interestingly enough, boxing is a great technique to relieve some stress, whether it is to punch that anxiety to the curb or get rid of the pent-up anger. It is an unusual mechanism, but it has great benefits.
What are the effects of boxing?
To begin with, boxing is defined as a physical activity and sport that includes you fighting an opponent with your fists, using fighting gloves, in a squared rink. It seems ironic how benefiting your mental health means punching someone, but boxing can be done alone when you are training at the gym or taking classes.
The various benefits boxing can bring along with it include –
Any form of exercise releases endorphins – Endorphins are a type of endogenous opioids, but they are formed within our bodies, unlike opiates such as morphine or heroin. They are basically hormones that play a role in reducing pain, regulating heart and blood vessels, respiration, and so many more. A PET scan measuring brain opioid binding found that endogenous opioids are, in fact, released during exercise that occurs for a long time. So, in simplistic terms, these hormones are released to induce a calming effect, and here we can understand how feeling good after exercising comes about.
Boxing is a form of anger management and stress relief – Imagine being able to release all your pent-up anger with just one punch. Dealing with your emotions is a hard thing to do, and it is necessary to do it in the right way – by punching things out! This also relieves the pent-up stress that you may have been having.
Social benefits – Again, here we see the importance of a community in all this. Boxing can introduce you to people that have similar interests, and you can end up making friends.
Building confidence – Boxing can also enhance your self-confidence and self-esteem, and it is extremely flexible as a sport, meaning that you can do it whenever and wherever you like.
Relieving anxiety and depression symptoms – By channeling your focus on the present and not having negative thoughts and worries, boxing can help with relieving you from having these oncoming doubts.
Focus, concentration, and strategy – Boxing is a beneficial way to train using tactics to reach your goal, and this could even help you in the long run for your future.
It is important to note that boxing may not work for everyone. This is just a suggested technique that has shown great improvement on mental health from success stories heard and the overall positive results that it achieves. Try it out, and if it does not work for you, then there are a multitude of other alternatives.