Boxing And Aging: Maintaining Vitality And Strength In Older Adults

Signing up for boxing classes might be the best thing you can do to slow down the effects of aging.

Staying active is vital at any stage of life, but it becomes even more essential as you age. There’s no way around aging; we all lose muscle mass, bone density, flexibility, balance, and coordination as we age. Our brains also slow down, reducing cognition, reaction times, and problem-solving skills. Aging also makes you more vulnerable to chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Fighting Off The Effects Of Training With Boxing Classes

Exercise has been proven to be the fountain of youth when it comes to slowing down aging, especially when combined with a healthy diet. Studies have highlighted martial arts like Boxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because of the well-rounded exercise they provide. Research shows that regular exercise is the most effective singular action you can take to limit the effects of aging on your body and brain. Exercises that push your balance, agility, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory capacity were shown to be the most effective at keeping your body and mind sharp.

Other studies show that martial arts, like boxing, provide all these benefits to practitioners. These studies showed that combat sports training was more effective than conventional exercises at slowing down the effects of aging. These studies concluded that 60 minutes of non-contact boxing classes two or three times helps improve older adults’ psychoemotional, physiological, and physical-functional health.

Some of the ways boxing training can help to maintain vitality and strength as you age include:

1) Improves Balance And Coordination

It isn’t uncommon for older adults to sustain injuries from falls, so you must do everything in your power to maintain your sense of balance and coordination. Boxing training involves constantly moving your feet in your stance as your instructor issues commands. You learn to move your feet while throwing punches with your hand, which helps to improve your stability and coordination. Research conducted by the AARP shows that boxing can help drastically improve older adults’ gait and balance.

2) Improved Joint Health And Flexibility

Boxing engages your entire body, enhancing joint mobility and flexibility as you throw punches and work on your footwork.

Having good mobility is vital for your independence as an older adult. You can’t take care of yourself if you can barely take a few steps on your own power. Your joints get stiffer as you age, and that could limit your mobility if left unaddressed.

Boxing training requires you to use many of your joints’ full range of motion. The footwork involved in boxing helps to keep joints in your lower body loose, while the punches you throw do the same for your upper body. Almost every part of your body does some work when you execute any boxing technique.

The movements you perform during your boxing classes will help you to maintain your mobility as you age. Your body works on a “use it or lose it” basis.

Learning how to box makes you use your entire body in ways you’ve never done before, improving your flexibility and mobility. Both things play a massive role in your quality of life. It’s the difference between being an older adult who gets to do most of the fun things you’ve enjoyed in your life or one who’s relegated to a wheelchair.

3) Improved Cardiovascular Health

Boxing training consists of various exercises that push your cardiovascular endurance. Boxing isn’t just about throwing punches; it involves using your feet, constantly bending and twisting at your hips, and moving your head. It gives you a full-body workout that increases your heart rate and improves blood circulation.

The structure of a typical boxing session gives you high-intensity interval training (HIIT) since it involves periods of moderate to intense activity followed by brief rest periods. This type of exercise teaches your heart to pump more efficiently, lowering your resting heart rate.

The exercise you get with boxing training also helps to lower high blood pressure, a common health issue many older adults face. Boxing helps to keep your blood vessels clear of obstructions, reducing the strain on your heart. It also helps with your overall endurance, allowing you to engage in physical activities with your family and loved ones for longer periods without getting tired.

4) Increased Muscle Strength, Definition, And Endurance

Boxing enhances muscle strength, definition, and endurance by engaging multiple muscle groups through dynamic, high-intensity movements.

Boxing also helps to strengthen your muscles, improve your endurance, and increase muscle tone. All three things are crucial as you age since muscle loss is part of the process. Boxing training will help to increase your muscle mass so your muscles can remain strong and toned as you age.

Every punch you throw while training engages your legs, core, back, shoulders, and arms. You also get resistance training when you engage in activities like hitting a heavy bag. Resistance training helps to increase your bone density, reducing the effects of the bone loss that goes on with aging on you. Your muscle coordination will also improve because of your training.

5) Enhanced Mental Sharpness And Clarity

Boxing sharpens mental clarity by requiring quick decision-making and intense focus during training and sparring.

The benefits boxing offers you as an older adult aren’t just physical; training also provides various mental benefits like improved reaction time, problem-solving skills, focus, memory, and mental clarity.

All these things decline as you age, but boxing training can help improve them all, allowing you to stay mentally sharp as you age. The quick thinking you have to do as your instructor shouts out commands improves your reaction time and problem-solving skills.

Learning combinations, defensive techniques, and footwork patterns will engage your brain, enhancing your memory. You’ll also develop better focus since training boxing requires constantly focusing on using proper techniques, footwork, breathing, and timing.

The vigorous physical activity you engage in while training leads to the release of endorphins that improve your mood and lower stress, helping to keep your brain healthy.

Boxing Classes Keep You Young

The more you use your body, the slower the effects of aging. Science backs boxing as one of the most effective activities older adults can engage in to keep their bodies and minds strong.

Come to one of Evolve’s complimentary introductory boxing classes to learn more about how training can keep you feeling and looking youthful.

Book your complimentary trial class with our World Champions below!

If you have any other questions regarding Evolve MMA and the programs we offer, you can get in touch with our membership executives at the following locations:

Evolve MMA (Far East Square)
26 China Street
Far East Square #01-01
Singapore 049568
Phone: Evolve MMA (Orchard Central)
181 Orchard Road
#06-01 Orchard Central
Singapore 238896
Phone: Evolve MMA (KINEX)
11 Tanjong Katong Road
#02-52 KINEX
Singapore 437157
Phone: Evolve MMA (Star Vista)
1 Vista Exchange Green
#02-26A The Star Vista
Singapore 138617
Phone: (65) 6539 9590