Due to the apparent aggressive and combative nature of boxing, it’s often viewed as a masculine sport. However, more and more women are picking up the boxing gloves and getting some punches in, and for good reason!

From burning fat to gaining strength to reducing stress and so much more, boxing provides incredible benefits for the body and mind. So, if you’re a woman who’s yet to step into the studio, you might want to give it a try!

It’s Not All About Fighting

Many people have a misconception that boxing is only about fighting. If you’re into competition, go on with ya bad self and step into the ring. However, fighting isn’t a requirement for boxing.

More than anything, boxing is an incredible form of movement. It gets the entire body and mind working together in sync. In fact, boxing has shown up in many different gyms and fitness studios for its fat-blasting and body-sculpting benefits. However, that’s not all it’s good for. Boxing is a holistic form of exercise that engages the whole person, and at Gloveworx we see how the benefits of boxing transition into our clients lives outside of the ring. So, whether you want to compete or simply get in an awesome workout, boxing may be your missing fitness link.

Benefits of Boxing for Women

Boxing is not just a “man’s sport.” Here are some reasons why women should give it a go!

1. Boxing Burns Fat & Increases Endurance

Many people wrongly assume that you can just hop on the treadmill for one hour and meet all of your workout needs. Unfortunately (or maybe thankfully) it doesn’t quite work that way. To get the best possible results, you want to include both aerobic (e.g., walking, biking or jogging) and anaerobic (e.g., sprinting, weight lifting or jumping) exercises.

Aerobic exercises are great for building endurance and getting the blood flowing. Anaerobic exercises allow you to maintain muscle mass and shed fat fast! Combining the two allows for the best results possible: fast fat burning while preserving muscle and building your cardiovascular endurance.

Boxing is said to be about 70-80% anaerobic and 20-30% aerobic. So, instead of trying to incorporate multiple workout types into your routine (ie, pilates plus spinning plus HIIT classes, etc), boxing gives you the best of both worlds.

2. Boxing will Tone Those Muscles

Women often fear strength training, a common myth being that it will give them a “bulky” look. While weight training is actually great for women, and certainly won’t turn you into the incredible hulk, with boxing you don’t have to fret.

Because of the repetitive nature of boxing, you’ll build a natural strength that will give you the “toned” muscles that many women are looking for.

3. You’ll Build Functional Strength

Speaking of muscles, did you know there are different types of strength? Well, there are. Powerlifting, for example, builds up a tremendous amount of muscle strength, but not muscle endurance. Muscle endurance is the ability to do something over and over for an extended period of time.

In the real world, you need both types of strength. Because boxing incorporates many different strength training techniques, including weight training, body weight exercises and repetitive movements, you’re left with not only defined muscles but a functional strength and power that you can use in your everyday life.

4. It’s a Full Body Workout

Boxing is known for its punches and upper body work, but that’s not all it does. Believe it or not, boxing is an incredible full-body workout. All of those ducks, bobs and lunges are great for your thighs and your glutes. Your core is always engaged during boxing training as well. This is an area that many women tend to neglect. It’s not just about abs: a strong core is quite literally the core of everything you do.

As we’ve mentioned, boxing incorporates many different forms of exercise. It includes cardiovascular training, high-intensity training and strength training, making it a well-rounded, full-body workout.

5. You Will Learn Self-Defense Skills

It’s unfortunate, but in the world we live in you can never be too prepared. As a woman, you need to be focused, alert and prepared for whatever comes your way.

Boxing is great for learning self-defense skills. You’ll learn how to throw fast, strong punches. You’ll learn how to duck and block hits from others. You will be quicker due to improved endurance. You’ll also learn how to be more alert and focused, paying attention to every move your opponent might throw your way.

6. Boxing Is a Good for Your Mental Health

Women are natural caregivers. Their attention is always on giving to everyone else; to parents, children, spouses and friends. We so often put ourselves on the backburner, forgetting to care for ourselves in this over-worked, extremely busy and high-stress society that we live in.

It might not look it at first glance, but boxing is an incredible self-care tool. Physical activity, in general, helps to promote a good mood, lower stress and improve sleep, something we can probably all use more of.

Boxing has some unique mental health advantages of its own. Let’s be honest: at one point or another, we’ve all wanted to put our fist through a wall out of anger, frustration, or stress. Well, a punching bag and a pair of gloves is a much better and safer method. The act of hitting a punching bag helps to reduce anger and let out frustration in a healthy way. It can also act as a symbolic form or stress relief when you imagine the punching bag as that source of stress.

7. It’s a Great Workout for Your Hormones

Women go through a lot of hormonal changes, from monthly menstrual cycles to pregnancy to age-related menopause, lots of factors can throw them off track and have us feeling lousy.

When it comes to unbalanced hormones, certain forms of exercise are better than others. Both anaerobic and strength training workouts are great for healthy hormones as they incorporate active recovery phases, which our hormones need. We’ve mentioned that boxing includes both intensity-training and strength training, making it a superb workout for hormonal health.

Boxing is one of the most holistic and comprehensive workouts out there. It works every muscle group and is just as much mental as it is physical. It provides you with plenty of skills that you will undoubtedly take with you outside of the ring. That’s something that anyone, male or female, young or old, can benefit from. You’ll see for yourself during your first Gloveworx training session!