Boxing has often received a lot of negative press due to the propensity for head injuries through repeat exposure to punches. The poor publicity is warranted. Competitive boxing comes with risks. While most boxers are amateurs and hobbyists who do not sustain brain injury, the numbers are much higher with professional boxers.
In previous blogs, we discussed the benefits of boxing for trauma, depression, and mental resilience. We have also reviewed studies examining the impact of exercise on general well-being, noting that boxing is one of the few modalities shown to benefit those recovering from mental health issues. A recent study by Bozdarov et al. (2022) adds further weight to this growing body of evidence. The paper reviews existing research on boxing as a mental health intervention. In this article, we summarise the study and outline its most important findings.
This article tackles boxing and depression, in order to understand this interaction, we need to know more about depression before explaining how it interelates with boxing. Depression is the world’s most prominent non-communicable disease. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), depression is the leading cause of disability in the US and Canada, ahead of coronary heart disease, cancer and AIDS. Not surprisingly, mood disorders are a focal point for psychiatric work.
Boxing is a unique and effective way to relieve stress, combining physical exercise with a controlled outlet for emotional tension. This article will address the most frequently asked questions about the role of boxing in stress relief, exploring the mental and physical benefits of boxing for stress management.
At Spartans, we define optimisation as follows: when the external reality matches the individual's internal subjective experience and goals. The graph has two axes. Subjective well-being is how a person feels about themselves and their emotional, mental and physical well-being. The other axis is their external reality—their alignment between their hoped-for and experienced life. Optimisation, the goal Spartans has for its members, is when a positive emotional state matches a positive external reality. When the subjective experience and external reality are both positive, a person is on the road to optimisation
Trauma can deeply impact a person’s mental well-being, often leading to anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal. While therapy and medical support remain central to recovery, growing research shows that exercise can play a powerful complementary role. Boxing, as a high-intensity and skill-based activity, helps redirect focus, release built-up stress, and rebuild a sense of control. In a supportive community environment, it can become a meaningful pathway toward healing and resilience.
References Beilock, S. (2010). Choke: What the secrets of the brain reveal about getting it right when you have to. Simon and Schuster. Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Csikzentmihaly, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience (Vol. 1990). New York: Harper & Row.
We are now up to 2020 in my sporting reflections, and the only sport I’m currently involved in is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).
You can do all the training in the world on bags, but this does not translate to being able to throw a punch when you need to, nor, more importantly, keep your cool when being rained down on with punches.
One sport has continually come and gone as one of my favourite pastimes throughout the last thirty years. I started judo at 14 years old, encouraged by my good friend Jon Wood. Joining was a no brainer for me.
