My Mom Boxes, So Should You
My mom is in her sixties, and she boxes. Yes, you read that right. She is a boxer. Now, she doesn’t compete, but she trains. It began as part of her treatment for her Parkinson’s disease. Boxing is used to keep the brain active, help improve neurological function, and slow down the effects of the disease. But her training began to have a greater level of benefit than she anticipated. What started as a necessary training regiment to prolong her life turned into an incredible life-giving hobby.
She discovered that boxing was not just good for the physical state of her brain but the mental and psychological state of her mind as well. The activity provides the perfect combination of physical and mental work. You might think boxing is just throwing punches. But it is so much more. It takes concentration, new skills, and your mind and body working together. There is cadence, rhythm, and coordination--eyes, hands, feet, and hips all moving together.
She recommended it to me. I listened to my mom, and so should you.
Boxing (and other activities like it) is the ultimate physical activity. Yes, it is a great workout for aerobic and anaerobic activity. Nearly every muscle group is worked, and it improves power and coordination. Boxing also drastically improves your confidence--which can bleed into every other area of your life. There is, however, one additional hidden benefit. I wasn’t aware of it until my mom provided the insight.
Boxing is the perfect stress relief.
Yes, some of the reasons are obvious. Exercise of every kind reduces stress. Intense physical exertion is a natural stress reducer. Boxing, however, is a bit unique in this regard. The best athletes are relaxed athletes. The more relaxed athletes are, the better they perform. In boxing, you must be relaxed for the workout to be truly effective. It’s one of the few sports that requires this relaxed state. For example, you can’t learn the rhythm of the speed bag if your mind is elsewhere and you’re extremely tense. You’ll fail every time and eventually give up. Boxing creates a trifecta of mental focus and physical exertion in a relaxed state in a single workout.
My mom was right. Boxing isn’t just great for Parkinson’s patients, it’s suitable for all of us. So what’s your next step? Find a local gym, find some videos, get involved, and start punching. And when you complete your first workout, enjoy the incredible wave of relief, peace, and the feeling of accomplishment. Of course, as always, talk with your medical professional before getting started. And be sure to have a ton of fun getting involved. You won’t regret it.
Challenges/Points:
Some of the best physical activities you can do are the kind that engage your mind and your body.
Boxing helps you learn how to relax your mind and body for peak performance and serves as the ultimate relaxation tool.
The stress relief you get from boxing is much less about punching than it is about the blend of mental focus and physical exertion.
Questions:
Even if it’s not boxing, what is something physical you can do that requires mental engagements?
What are some of the ways you are actively relieving the stress in your life?
What are your next steps? What do you need to do right now to get started?
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