Professional boxing may be exciting to watch if you are a fan of the sport. Many professional boxers who have trained for years have put their bodies through excessive limits to be successful.
In this article, we will be looking at the negative side effects that are common among professional boxers.
- Long-term effects of injuries – Professional boxers, as you may be aware, get hit very often. With every hit to the head or face area, it becomes a bigger concern with every uppercut or jab they take. Former professional boxers are likely to age faster in the brain and develop various brain diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers in history, spent the remaining years of his life fighting Parkinson’s disease. In addition to this, fighters may be healing from injuries and be dealing with the after-effects long after the injury occurred. Fighters also will deal with their fair share of body injuries, such as broken ribs, internal bleeding, and more.
- It can lead to mental health issues. Mental health issues are undeniably among the topics in contact sports. Brain injuries have been responsible for brain changes among many athletes. They are known to also suffer from bouts of depression and are more likely to commit suicide because of this.
- Brain damage is a possibility, if not imminent. Brain damage may happen where a boxer may not function properly in mobility and speech. Even if they are lucky to escape that, their brain may not be functioning as normal as it should. Slurred speech, loss of motor skills, and stumbling are usually the common signs of brain damage.
Benefits of Boxing
- Feeling good. One of the best benefits of boxing is that it makes you feel good. Boxing involves lots of exercise. In addition to the physical fitness, people who start boxing also benefit from the endorphin release that comes with exercise. These endorphins help you feel good. Alongside this, you may also find you sleep better after all that exercise.
- Stress relief. Let us face it, we all deal with many stresses in our lives. The friendly environment of a gym, the exercise, and the skills you gain may help you deal with your stresses.
- Confidence. The skills of boxing have a practical application in addition to being fantastic exercise. In this world, we may feel vulnerable at times, gaining the confidence through boxing is a tremendous asset. On top of this, the physical fitness that you attain through boxing helps you feel better about yourself.
- New social life. Having friends and a strong social network is a common factor in having good mental health. Boxing promotes a friendly, positive environment in which students and instructors encourage and support each other. The new friends that you gain in boxing class can provide a dynamic element to your overall mental wellbeing.
- Anger management. We all experience anger. Not having an outlet for that anger or coping strategies can be very unhealthy. Boxing is a great outlet for that anger. Nothing beats a heavy bag for that. In addition to punching your anger away at that heavy bag, boxing teaches you how to better control that anger and stay focused. This is a skill that can have major benefits for you in or out of the ring.
- Focus. Boxing is a terrific way to gain focus. You need to be fully aware and, in the moment, when learning sparring and combinations. This focus is beneficial to the outside world as well as the ring. When you discover how to channel your inner thoughts, you can tune out any unwanted distractions and sources of stress. When you are in the gym, you can just focus on solely on boxing. It is a wonderful way to leave your worries behind you and take a well-deserved break.
Does Boxing Help with Anxiety and Depression?
Outside of the physical benefits, the effects that boxing can have on your mental well-being is worth noting. There is so much more to boxing than just jumping in a ring and punching somebody. Every step of the way, from building your stamina to figuring out all your skills inside the ring, can have an incredible and permanent affect on your mental health.
Boxing workouts are known to be great for working out your entire body. This intensity gets the endorphin flowing, which serves as your bodies form of natural anti-anxiety and helps elevate your mood. Boxing and the heavy bag are an outlet for people to release some of the built-up stress. Boxing helps you fight against the feelings of stress and allows you to calm down while benefiting from the post-exercise feelings you experience from the endorphins – often known as ‘runner’s high.’
Conclusion
Of course, there are pros and cons to boxing/professional boxing, just like any other sport or hobby. Boxing is an exercise that has a vast range of ways it can help your health – both mentally and physically. It teaches focus, resilience, social skills, and much more.
Boxing is 80% mental. The other 20% is covered by the extremely challenging camps that fighters put themselves through to ensure they are at their best condition on fight night.
As well as building physical strength, boxing may also help you feel mentally powerful. Of course, there are other things you can do to help build confidence, make you feel more mentally powerful, and all the other benefits. This sport is not for everyone, and not everyone would even wish to consider this sport. But, alongside the negative impacts it can have, it is also a great sport to consider if you suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety, little to no confidence, and not much of a social life.