For an all-encompassing mind and body workout, look no further than boxing. Boxing is a strength and cardio workout in one! Boxing helps create faster reflexes and reaction times, while also helping to improve overall physical coordination. Boxing workouts are a combination of bodyweight exercises, speed training, and muscle memory that require you to think quickly about your next move. Unlike other forms of exercising that isolate specific parts of the body, boxing engages the entire body, focusing on muscle movement and memory.
In addition to boosting your strength and cardio, boxing improves balance, coordination, reactivity, and agility. Hand-eye coordination is key for boxing. Punching a bag or sparring requires focused movements and strong recall, challenging your muscles and your mind. Hand-eye coordination is something we rely on every day, so strengthening this will not only help you in the world of boxing, but also in everyday life. In addition, it will help you later in life as reflexes tend to slow with age—by strengthening them, your reflexes won’t slow as quickly.
Aerobic exercise of any kind is associated with improvements to certain brain functions, but boxing is specifically known for improving hand-eye coordination. That’s because sparring on a bag, hitting boxing pads, or even shadowboxing all involve reaching out to targets in space, which research shows improves hand-eye coordination. While boxing, you need to think on your feet and be ready for whatever your opponent does. You need to block quickly, land a hit, and know when to side swipe. You also need to be able to do a combo with a right hook quickly, all while being able to react to what your opponent is doing. This process in combination with repeated practice improves your muscle memory and reflexes.
As sensory beings, we have intricate nervous systems, bones, muscles, and highly evolved physical functions to facilitate reactive movement. Our bodies were made to respond to stimuli. Coordination improves as a result of learning and mastering new movements. Remember, coordination includes elements of balance, spatial orientation, rhythm. Boxing exemplifies exercises to improve all of these elements.
