Another Day – Another Dollar – Another Dose of Corporate Stress.
You’re driving in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area during rush hour trying to make it to your office. On the way you hear sirens, see accidents, and cars speed past you. You arrive to work, only to be met with deadlines, large workloads, organizational changes, long hours, performance reviews and more.
Physical and mental wear and tear on your body is evident. Now it’s time for a change.
But what can you do? Try Boxing at Fight into Fitness!
Here are 4 reasons why boxing can improve the life of a working professional.
- Relieves stress
- Improve focus
- Boost confidence
- Improve sleep
Reason 1: Relieves stress
We’ve always heard that exercising is a great outlet for stress, but what exactly makes boxing the workout of choice?
Ever wanted to punch a wall or maybe even a person? Not the best choice, but try directing that aggression to a boxing bag. Letting those aggressions out in a controlled space can provide a healthy outlet for frustration.
Whether you are new to boxing or a seasoned professional, being consistent weekly with your workouts will help regulate cortisol levels. Or regulate the body’s stress hormone.
Any workout that increases your heart rate will lower and/or regular your cortisol levels over time. Boxing increases your heart rate because of the different moves that are performed. Here are 3 areas in boxing that increase your heart rate:
- Heavy Bag Work
- Jump Rope
- Circuit Training (burpees, squats, pushups)
Work with our seasoned coaches consistently and see the change in yourself.
Reason 2: Improve focus
Do you work in a profession where you need full concentration such as a surgeon, engineer, stock trader, lawyer, educator? Then boxing can help you in your profession.
If you have ever watched a boxing match, fighters never let their guard down and are constantly anticipating their next move. Every punch or block requires focused attention. It’s like exercising a muscle, whether you are doing it on the job or in the ring.
Here are 3 moves that can improve your focus and concentration in the ring:
- Shadow Boxing
- Focus Mitt Sparring
- Speed Bag Work
These boxing moves provide the building blocks to visualize your opponent and their next move, which in turn improves your concentration.
Reason 3: Boost confidence
Have you been in your career for a while? Do you fear not learning and mastering new tools or new ways to learn? It’s likely you can get in a rut doing the same tasks day in and day out, unless you take it upon yourself to change. But if there is no incentive, that confidence gene can start to decline.
In boxing, understanding new techniques and then continuously improving on them will increase self-esteem and confidence. You can use that momentum at your job to go after promotions or difficult assignments.
Self-efficacy, a term coined by Albert Bandura is a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in a particular situation.
Mastering boxing techniques will allow your self-efficacy to increase. Most simply, when you realize you can succeed in one area, it can translate to other facets of your life, like the workplace.
The Speed Bag is one boxing technique that beginners often struggle with due to understanding the timing, rhythm and hand-eye coordination needed. Mastering this boxing move is just one example to build your confidence in boxing and having that confidence translate to other areas of your professional life.
Reason 4: Better sleep
As a busy professional with a demanding job, sleepless nights can wreak havoc on your day of getting it all done. Not being able to get to sleep or waking up multiple times during the night can definitely hinder the quality rest you are seeking.
Research from the National Sleep Foundation states that 7-9 hours of sleep is needed for adults 18-64. One way to make sure you can get more sleep is with regular exercise.
Exercise can:
- Regulate body’s internal clock
- Improve sleep quality
- Reduce stress
Invest in yourself and commit to 2-3 boxing sessions a week at Fight into Fitness to start the process of regulating your body’s sleep schedule.
When you wake up in the morning, you’ll be more alert to tackle any problem that comes your way. It’s best not to exercise right before bed as your body needs time to cool off to get the best rest possible.
Time to get Started
As a Corporate Warrior who continuously puts out the work fires and does not leave time to pour into one’s self, it’s time to put you first! What are you waiting for?
Sign up for a Class Pass and add in 2-3 boxing sessions at Fight into Fitness.
This first step will help you navigate your busy lifestyle by reliving stress, improving focus, boosting confidence and improving your sleep habits.
Break the cycle of corporate stress with the power of boxing at Fight into Fitness.