7 Benefits of Yoga for Boxing
Infuse Yoga into your Boxing workout to level up your sport. See the sciences’ take on it and also get a special eco-friendly Yoga mat made after extensive testing.
Find out 7 never thought benefits of Yoga for Boxing that are fact-checked by science. Plus, an eco-friendly Yoga mat for your workouts.
On the surface, Yoga and Boxing feel like two ends of a poll. One sport is all about dabbing, punching, sweating, grabbing, and looking at the opponent with fiercely cold-blooded eyes. The other, however, appeals to be sweet, calm, relaxing, and far from punching someone in the eyes. While it might appear these two popular sports are at North and South distance, science says something else.
Yoga and Boxing are deeply connected. Discover below 7 ‘never-thought’ benefits of Yoga for Boxing under the influence of science.
Plus, if you’re into Boxing, we’re going to introduce you to Gallant's special Yoga mat to help you reach the MMA ring. Keep on reading.
7 Benefits of Yoga for Boxing and the Studies Behind Them
Invented thousands of years before, in 2700 B.C to be precise, Yoga is loved globally — and for good reasons. It helps in spiritual, material, and physical upliftment. But, the question is: does Yoga help with Boxing?
Well, yeah, it surely does. The former UFC champion, Connor McGregor, recently told Men's Health, “I do Yoga every day. If it doesn’t involve balance, I don’t think it’s beneficial.”
While there are dozens overall, we're listing 7 of the key benefits of Yoga for Boxing proven to level up your Boxing game. Here goes:
Extend Your Reach
Longer reach is advantageous in Boxing. A player with extended reach can throw speedy punches while staying at a distance. This helps because a) it can put the opponent at a bay, and b) it helps in attacking whilst remaining far away so the opponent can’t catch you.
So, how do you achieve longer reach in Yoga?
Case in point: National Health Library conducted an 8-week Yoga program specifically designed for hip extension and lower body flexibility. The results were shockingly amazing in extending the hips, stride length, and pelvic tilts while walking.
Improve Your Balance
Inside the ring; when you jab, grab, and land kicks at your shoulders’ height — the balance is crucial. It’s your little fall or even stumble, and your opponent gets a chance to smack you in the face and knock you out. But, if you’ve great balance, you can withstand punches and never fall. Plus, more balance means more power in your punches, more speedy movements, and more time standing on your ground.
Well, you might be in other balance exercises — but Yoga has a long history of aiding in balance. In fact, it’s a tradition.
Case in point: The study was done in 2012 to assess the affects of Yoga as balance impairment for post strokes athletes by an 8-week Yoga program. The objectives were to notice positive impacts in balance, overall stability, and reducing the fear of falling. The results were significantly beneficial.
International Yoga Journal found out in a 10-week program that Yoga can boost athletic performances by escalating body balance and muscle flexibility.
Recover from Pain and Repair Muscle Stiffness
Boxing is a brutal game full of unnatural stances. Sometimes jabbing. Sometimes pushing against the fence. Sometimes grabbing over the neck and rolling over the floor. All can lead to insane muscle imbalances, resulting in cracks in ligaments or joint instability.
The quick and easy fix? Yoga.
Get rid of shoulder and neck pain by stretching, reveals the study done by Gura in 2001.
Another meta-analysis discovered that Yoga is a quick fix to lower back pain, especially due to intense fights and exercises.
Get Better Sleep and Enhanced Cognitive Performance
Enough hours of sleep is crucial for every sport. But, Boxing is especially a subtle art of quick and accurate cognitive reflexes and focus. If mind and muscle coordination isn’t at the peak of connection, there's a high chance you’ll deal with nasty damage.
But, not if you meditate with Yoga.
In 2019, a study showed Yoga treats the symptoms of insomnia, and helps get better sleep. And if you sleep enough hours, you’ll get a laser-focused concentration and attention to the fast moving punches.
“If you’re calm and relaxed enough...you can watch and you can see everything. You can watch every twitch of his muscle. But you have to have the confidence and relaxation”, Mike Tyson emphasizes the importance of calmness and relaxation in the fight.
And you can achieve that level of consciousness in the ring with enough sleep and relaxing your mind with Yoga.
Never Run out of Breath Again
Have you watched the 2020 Khabib vs Cornor’s fight? The whole world watched it. The deadliest move of Khabib, in all the three rounds, was to leave Corner out of breath by pressing his body against Corner, and leaving him no chance but struggling breathing. No breath means no Oxygen. No Oxygen means no energy. And no energy means...you know what it means.
Proper breathing pattern is crucial to keep the Oxygen burning for producing energy.
And Pranayama, a yogic performance to control, hold, and increase the duration of breath, has been there for thousands of years. A 6-week study in 2019 revealed, if you do one hour of a Pranayama session every day, you’ll significantly improve lung function. Plus, you might even treat asthma symptoms.
Become Injury-Free
Yoga is the art of stretching, balancing, and strengthening your muscles to build flexibility. That means no punches can penetrate through your muscles to damage inner organs.
And do you know what that means? In Boxing, when thunder punches shunt on your face and ribs; you gotta have that flexibility, endurance, and balance to stand on your ground and keep your lungs and kidneys injury-free.
A 10-week study discovered Yoga can improve flexibility and balance in athletes.
Another interesting study divided 66 elderlies in two groups. One trained for callisthenics, and the other for Yoga. After one year, the results were revealed.
And it was shocking.
The yogi group enhanced their muscle flexibility and balance four times better than those strength trainers.
Boost Your Strength
Strength is the number one winning factor in Boxing. Even the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali, confessed when an interviewer asked:
“Who would’ve won if you fought Mike Tyson in your prime?”
*Crowd cheers Ali, Ali, Ali...*
Ali: … “I weren't that powerful, but I was so fast. And if he hit me...I’m dead (Falls down on sofa acting if he’s dead)”
Ali was emphasizing the role of strength in the ring that Mike’s one punch would’ve been enough for him.
And for strength, even if you sweat in the gym and go wild with weights, Yoga is still another relatively easier and effective ancient secret. Some of the Yoga poses are especially designed to increase strength in your body.
There was a group study done in 2015. Yoga for 12-weeks study revealed that Yoga is effective for increasing strength, endurance, and flexibility.
Another study of 24-weeks also discovered that by doing “Sun Salutation”, 79 adults improved their upper body strength, burnt fat, and built endurance.
Ready to Fuse Yoga into Your Boxing Workouts? Discover the Best Yoga Mat for Boxing and Meditation to Level up Your Boxing Game.
Introducing the Gallant’s Eco Friendly TPE Yoga Mat. Experience the perfect thickness: soft padding for your knees and still sturdy enough to feel the crust of the earth. The non-skid structure makes it stay wherever you put it. With the premium TPE rubber material, it doesn't shed pieces either.
High-resistance durable material allows you to go as vigorous as you want, and still there'll be no sign of cracks in the mat.
We made it so lightweight, so it’s easy on your hands when you carry it and do your walks. Or when you pack it to travel and hike on green & rocky hills.
The best part, which we’re proud of, is it’s 100% eco-friendly. It’s 100% safe for you and it’s 100% safe for mother nature. No toxic chemicals, no bad odors. Easily wash it, dust it, and store it wherever it’s comfortable for you.
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Wrapping up on the Benefits of Yoga for Boxing
Whether you’re into Boxing or you exercise regularly for fitness — if you’re missing out on Yoga, you’re missing out on a lot of health benefits. Just strength training, muscle growth, or cardio isn’t enough. Achieving mental peace is the real supremacy of health that will not only empower you in the arena, but in real life also.
That’s it for now. Infuse this new craze in your workouts. Level up your sport. Share your gains with Gallant at Instagram. We would love to see what you’re up to.