Did You Know Boxing Could Help You Improve Your Balance?
Balance is a big deal in our everyday world, but we take it for granted. Just think how long it took you to master walking, running, and jumping as a child.
Your balance system is incredibly complex, and allows you to walk around over steps, and obstacles without thinking. However, when balance is affected, it can be difficult to perform daily tasks and activities you enjoy.
No matter what age you are, your balance can always be improved – in fact, even those who do not live with a balance or gait disorder can still suffer from balance-related injuries that occur from poor posture or reflexes.
However, if you frequently notice an imbalance, dizziness, or unsteadiness that makes you feel as if you may fall over at any given time, it is a sign that you may be living with a balance or gait disorder.
Fortunately, at Renew Physical Therapy & Wellness, we can help relieve your balance issues – with boxing!
You may be wondering, “How could boxing possibly improve my balance?” In fact, there are a lot of proven physical benefits to boxing exercises! To learn more about how our boxing programs could benefit you, contact Renew Physical Therapy & Wellness today!
Why should I consider boxing?
Boxing can benefit a wide range of people, for many different reasons. There are several ways that boxing can help improve your health and wellness, including, but not limited to:
- Gentle movements for patients with joint or bone pain. Since boxing is not a weight-bearing exercise, it is ideal for those who may be living with a condition affecting the bones or joints. “Shadowboxing” (also known as “punching the air”) is a low-impact exercise that still focuses on movements of body weight on the legs, hips, and lower spine. Therefore, it doesn’t add any stress to the lower extremities but still works in strengthening them, so you can improve your balance.
- A program fit around your needs. With boxing, it is very easy to go at your own pace. Patients can push themselves to reach their goals without the risk of overwhelming themselves. This helps you start off slow and build from there as your muscles strengthen and you become more comfortable.
- A full-body workout. Boxing uses muscles in the entire body, meaning that when you are boxing, you are exercising your entire body at once. This is especially important when focusing on boxing for balance issues, because a fully conditioned body makes it much easier to stand up straight, walk, and move in the ways you were meant to!
- Cognitive improvement. Boxing isn’t just beneficial to the body – it’s also beneficial to the brain! The quick movements and strategies of boxing help sharpen cognitive skills and improve alertness within the brain. With boxing comes memorization of basic punches and strategies, which helps improve brain function to make you “quick on your feet” – both literally and figuratively!
- Hand-eye coordination at its finest. Last but not least, boxing helps tremendously with hand-eye coordination – because that’s the whole point of the sport! This is especially important when using boxing as a treatment for balance and/or gait issues, as improved hand-eye coordination will naturally make it easier to walk and move without faltering.
Are you ready to get started?
Boxing is a great way to improve not only your balance, but your overall health as well. If you are interested in gaining the benefits of boxing, don’t hesitate to contact Renew Physical Therapy & Wellness today. We’ll get you moving again in no time!
Tags: health, boxing, balance, PHYSICAL THERAPY, fitness, exercise
