Learning boxing is one of the best decisions you can make in your entire life. The number of benefits is, literally, countless. Many trainees report starting out with one purpose—until they find out about another they’ve just experienced.
This article will examine the 9 most popular reasons people start doing boxing. One of these may give you the motivation to start training today. If you have a why, you have a how.
The following list is the reasons to learn how to box:
- Learning to fight
- Better physical shape
- Reduced stress and aggression levels
- Increased self-confidence
- Improved mental health
- Better self-esteem
- Becoming a solid fighter
- Feeling more fulfilled
- Improved social life
As you can see, the list is long—it goes even further. Different people may have different drives or motivations. For example, a person who doesn’t want to feel defenseless ever again—starts to box because he wants to know self-defense.
However, another individual builds tension and stress in one’s work. As such, one looks for a platform to release that built stress. So, what does one do? Start training in martial arts, where studies have proved time after time their effectiveness in reducing stress and built tension.
I decided to write this article, since I believe that knowing your purpose—is the first step to success. And, as you may guess, there’s no skipping the first step, in almost anything in life. Once you find why you want to learn to box, you’ll feel guilty when you miss a workout, as you won’t progress toward your goal.
Before diving into the article, I encourage you to follow the link to read about the best ways to learn to box at home. By following these principles, you’ll be able to save money or boost your overall progression in the martial arts gym.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the first reason to start learning boxing.
#1 – Learning to fight
The first reason to start your boxing journey is to learn how to fight. Ever since it was created, it has existed to fulfill a need; people wanted to learn practical, effective techniques by using their bodies. Glocks didn’t exist back then, so it was clear; martial arts are the new big thing.
Even today, when self-defense weapons, even pepper spray exist, martial arts are on a constant rise. Particularly boxing, which is the most popular fighting style globally, fills a need.
As such, you must be willing to dedicate your efforts and remain consistent with training to learn how to fight. Eventually, the difficult times will come, especially in the beginning, when you won’t see as many results as you would hope for.
Some of what boxing teaches is particularly effective for self-defense situations, such as street fights. Picture yourself landing a fierce right hook on someone who teases you.
Now, you’ve been learning to box for the past couple of months and have sparred countless times already. You’re familiar with the feeling of getting punched in the face, so you’re not afraid to use practical means.
Well, if the situation escalates further, and you feel threatened, a right hook will solve the situation. In fact, you can throw any punch, and you’ll cause massive damage since you’ve been learning to box for the past couple of months. Likewise, in that time, you’ve been honing your technique.
If you want to learn more about whether boxing is suitable for self-defense, follow the link to an article of mine on the topic.
#2 – Bettering physical shape
The second reason to start doing boxing—is bettering your physical shape. Let’s not hide the facts, in today’s society, everyone wants to have an attractive body or figure. Because of that, people would do anything to achieve that.
Boxing improves your physical shape by being an intense workout. It uses all your big muscle groups, such as your back, chest, arms, shoulders, and even legs. As a result, you’ll burn plenty of calories, especially compared to other, less intensive activities, such as walking.
By consistently doing boxing, you’ll be honing your technique, and thus learn self-defense. Simultaneously, you’ll better your physical shape, which is a highly desirable trait.
But, that’s not the exciting part.
The part you should really be eager for—is that you’ll enjoy working out. You won’t notice yourself going through a difficult exercise, since you’ll be in a flow state.
That’s what so cool about martial arts; once you train any of them, you’ll be in your zone. You’ll sweat, hit, and get hit—and as such, your mind won’t notice that you currently are having a difficult time. As a result, you’ll burn plenty of calories, without really noticing it.
In fact, it’s not uncommon to see up to 800 calories per hour of boxing. That number is larger than what I would imagine an activity can burn. Now you understand the impact it can have on your physical shape, if you train at least once a week.
If you want to know which are the best martial arts for fitness and, as a result, improve your physical shape, follow the link to read the full list.
#3 – Reducing stress and aggression levels
The third reason to start learning to box—is reducing your stress and aggression levels. People don’t bother taking care of their mental health as much as their physical one. Therefore, the rate of depression has reached its peak.
Boxing reduces your stress by being a platform that allows you to go “all out”. It involves various drills and exercises, such as hitting a punching bag fiercely. Such activities are precisely what will release built tension and aggression levels in the training itself. That will, as you can guess, calm you down post-training.
Being aggressive and violent is what martial arts are against. That may sound odd to some, as they’ve never trained in them. How can an activity that teaches me how to fight aggressively have the opposite effect?
To answer that, we must understand that all martial arts teach values and life-lessons that are opposite of what they teach. For example, although you’ll learn how to fight effectively with karate, you’ll also learn how to be as calm and stress-free as the ocean.
According to a study:
Martial arts apprentices turned out to present a statistically significantly lower level of hostility and of the general aggression index than combat sports athletes.
SOURCE
If you want to learn more about why martial arts decrease anger levels, ensure to follow the link to an article of mine on the topic.
#4 – Increasing self-confidence
Today, confidence is a trait most people lack. That’s because we always compare ourselves to other people around us. And, as such, we always seek to be better than others; truly, a superiority complex.
Boxing increases your self-confidence because it allows you to constantly overcome different obstacles. These obstacles can be anywhere from staying consistent to winning your first fight.
What’s so overwhelmingly positive about boxing is that you’ll inevitably push yourself outside your comfort zone. Therefore, after every session, you’ll be one step closer to a better, more confident you.
Self-confidence is a key trait you need to have in your life. Many people aren’t confident because all the distraction surrounding us, such as social media. Thus, participating in a combative sport, like learning to box—may be just what you need.
#5 – Improving mental health
Next, let’s discuss mental health. That topic is difficult to talk about, so I’ll speak from my own, personal experience.
The same way you treat your physical body with weekly exercise, you need to train your mind with weekly exercise. I don’t mean your actual brain, of course. But, I’m referring to the need our soul has for constant self-development.
If you want to have a solid foundation for your mental health, you also must build that foundation.
In my experience, I’ve never been a person with high-confidence or self-esteem. That was until I began working on myself. Essentially, I prioritized myself over anyone else, which is rather egotistical. But, it really isn’t.
The more you work and develop yourself, the more others will enjoy being around you. Likewise, the better you’ll be able to provide for your family and close ones. Hence, when working on your mental health and prioritizing yourself, you’re also doing that for the people around you.
Generally speaking, the data supports martial arts as an effective self-care practice for mental health professionals. This is a significant finding because martial arts are growing as an extracurricular activity, arguably due to its glorification through the entertainment industry and as a means of physical fitness.
SOURCE
Boxing is a suitable place to begin your mental health development because it stops the natural flow of life. One day, you change your natural routine and attend a martial arts gym.
That, as you can imagine, causes you to think highly of yourself. After all, you’re doing something most people never think of doing. Likewise, you’re working on yourself, regardless of the initial purpose you started with (It may even be learning to fight, it doesn’t matter).
The important thing is, you’re improving yourself; after all, that is what counts.
#6 – Bettering self-esteem
That benefit closely relates to the previous two. However, I decided to dedicate an entire section to it, as I wanted to ensure we’re on the same page.
Self-esteem is your self-image – how you view yourself. Do you think you can improve yourself without first learning to love yourself? If you don’t love and appreciate yourself, who would?
I know it sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. If you want to achieve amazing feats in your life, you also need to improve your mentality and mindset. Only then will you progress toward your goal faster than ever.
Boxing improves your self-esteem by allowing you to work toward a goal. The closer you get to the goal, the more you’ll appreciate and love yourself. Learning to box is also a difficult activity to participate in. Thus, you’ll further appreciate yourself for putting in the work.
I’ve seen countless boxing trainees viewing themselves as more solely because they were working toward a goal. You’ll be surprised at the number of people who never have written their goals on a piece of paper.
Once you set your eyes on achieving a single goal and work hard to get it, you’ll be viewing yourself differently. You will have an entire different perspective on yourself, as you have put in what it takes to see results.
If you want to know what the benefits of martial arts are, follow the link to an article of mine on the topic.
#7 – Becoming a solid fighter
One of the primary reasons many elite fighters, especially in MMA, learn to box—is to become the best fighters in their potential. You would be surprised at how many UFC fighters currently or have trained in boxing.
Of course, in MMA, your goal is to become the most complete fighter. You must know how to grapple and defend from such means. As a result, learning a martial art, such as Judo, BJJ, or even wrestling—is key.
Eventually, if you want to become a solid fighter, learning a striking-based fighting style—is something you must do. You can learn other styles, such as Muay-Thai, or kickboxing.
Still, boxing remains at the top of the list because of its practicality and effectiveness for self-defense. Just look at the number of elite fighters who have boxed at one point in their lives.
If becoming a competent fighter is one of your goals, boxing is a suitable choice. You’ll learn how to strike for offensive and defensive means, a key component in proper fighting.
If you want to box at home, without having to pay monthly fees to a gym, follow the link to learn how.
#8 – Feeling more fulfilled
Feeling fulfilled is something many people lack. It’s not hard at all to get sucked into daily routine. However, breaking that routine with an activity such as boxing—will ensure you feel more fulfilled throughout your day.
From my experience, once you’re done with your session, you feel as if you’ve just conquered something. That thing you conquered is what many people can’t even think of doing.
What you’ve conquered is yourself. Your mind will try to divert your feelings to other, easier doings. However, you must remain strong and keep yourself in training. If you don’t, you won’t be ready and open to the results and benefits boxing presents.
Nevertheless, you can better yourself. You can do the hard things, even when you don’t feel like it. That’s the entire philosophy of martial arts – to develop your mind, soul, and body as one.
#9 – Improving social life
The last reason we’ll discuss people start doing boxing is—to improve their social life. It’s fairly common to see individuals not as satisfied with their social life. They may not like who’s around them, or think they can involve themselves with people who will lift them up.
What better place is there to find new and friendly people to lift you up. By surrounding yourself with like-minded people, who want to better themselves, you’ll be more eager to better yourself as well.
As a result, you’re more likely to stay consistent with martial arts training, and thus, feel all the results and end-goals we’ve discussed in this article.
Imagine how superb it’ll feel to be more confident, have higher self-esteem, know self-defense, have better mental health, and love your body. Aren’t those things worth fighting for? I’ll tell you something, truly, they are.
Your social life is the key to self-improvement. If you surround yourself with people who indulge in only bad habits, you’ll also become like them. However, if you surround yourself with folks who want to constantly better themselves, you’ll become like them.
And you know what’s really cool? They’ll also become more like you.
If you want to learn more about the rules of boxing, follow the link to an article of mine. Knowing the rules is the first step you need to take before beginning your fighting journey. That way, you’ll keep others around you, and thus yourself, safe.
Should I learn to box?
When first stepping in your martial arts gym, you’ll find numerous types of people. However, there’s one common trait they all possess: willingness to move forward. That is the trait that makes all the trainees the same, regardless of their size, weight, or current knowledge.
You should learn to box because it provides countless mental and physical benefits while teaching you how to fight fiercely. As such, if you know how to box appropriately, you also know how to defend yourself, if you ever need to. Thus, learning to box is wise, especially for those wanting to progress in life.
After all, there’s a common theme between those who wake up in the morning and do the hard things – and the people who procrastinate. Eventually, if you learn any martial art, you’re immediately a part of the better group, as you’re doing something to improve yourself.
Bettering yourself in today’s world is even more difficult, since you never know when the next distraction will pop from. As a result, your brain got used to jumping from one doing to another. Hence, most people can’t seem to participate in hard things, such as boxing and learning to fight.
Is boxing worth it?
Learning boxing is worth it because it’s a self-improvement and self-defense platform. By constantly participating in its training, you’ll better your mental and physical selves while learning to fight viciously. For instance, trainees may feel more fulfilled, have more confidence, and with better mental health.
Wouldn’t you want to experience these benefits and results yourself? I bet you do, but the thought of starting such a long process right now sounds too demanding.
But, I believe in your will power. You can do it.
If you want to learn more about the rules of boxing and thus ensure you and other trainees remain safe in training, follow the link to the complete list of guidelines.
Final words
Boxing is one of the best martial arts globally. You’ll be bettering your mental and physical selves while learning to fight. That alone is enough for you to invest money on a solid martial arts gym to start your training.
Before you begin training, ensure you know your purpose. By doing so, you’ll be more likely to stay consistent, the most difficult feat to achieve. Likewise, you’ll be more dedicated throughout training, as you’ll know what you want to achieve.
Moreover, your mental self will be on a roll if you get closer to your goals. I can tell you one thing for sure, if you want to love yourself and be more confident, you must write down your goals clearly. Then, match your life with these goals, until you reach them.
If you enjoyed reading this article, I bet you’ll also enjoy learning about techniques to make your punching faster. By doing that, you’ll boost your fighting abilities and level by plenty.