Pad work is an effective training method used to help get boxers fight ready, but did you that
know it has heaps of mental and physical benefits for people of all ages and fitness levels?
Check out our top 5 benefits below:
1. It helps to reduce and/or manage stress
It’s no secret that exercise causes the release of endorphins, the feel-good hormones! It’s
also a great mood booster generally, it works as a form of meditation, and improves sleep.
All of which helps to reduce and manage stress.
When you’re focusing and pushing yourself through a couple minutes of high-intensity
punching, you don’t have much mental space left to worry about work or stress about
relationships. Punching the pads can help you release any pent up negative emotions you
might be storing, so if you’re not in a great place, it is a great way to transform your mood.
Trust us, those endorphins will be flowing for hours after your workout too!
2. Improves Hand-Eye Coordination
If you have good hand-eye coordination, you’re likely to have quick reflexes and reaction
times. This is an important skill to work on, especially as we age, as coordination and
balance become compromised, increasing the risk of falls.
Pad work is a fantastic way to improve your hand-eye coordination because when you’re
hitting the pads, you must be able to see, react to, and hit the constantly moving and
changing target. Pads provide a much smaller target (than a bag) so require maximum
attention from the boxer to punch on target. It is therefore a must for anyone wanting to
develop their accuracy in boxing.
It’s certainly challenging, but with practice on the pads, your hand-eye coordination will
improve considerably!
3. It improves your cardiovascular fitness
Cardiovascular exercise is any vigorous activity that increases your heart rate and
respiration and raises oxygen and blood flow throughout the body while using the body’s
large muscle groups. Cardio offers a plethora of benefits from reducing health risks to
lowering blood pressure.
The combos strung together in pad work effectively ramp up your heart rate in a short space
of time. It is a high intensity, low impact form of interval training that is guaranteed to improve
your stamina and fitness levels. Punch your way to a healthy heart at 12 Rounds Boxing!
4. Improves Total Body Strength
All that jabbing and hooking requires a surprising amount of strength! Participating in regular
pad work sessions will lead to a significant increase in body strength in a fairly short period
of time!
5. Increases Muscle Mass and Promotes Weight Loss
As pad work simultaneously decreases fat mass and increases muscle mass, it is great for
both weight loss and improving body composition!
It perfectly combines muscle-building, strength training moves and intense, calorie-burning
rounds of cardio. Regular pad work sessions will therefore result in changes to your body
shape whilst helping you shed those unwanted pounds – win win!
6. It’s a fantastic mental workout too!
Rest assured pad work isn’t just a great physical workout. It’s also fantastic for improving
concentration and cognitive skills, as the boxer is required to remember punch sequences
and link combinations which is a tough mental workout!
7. It’s the fastest way to improve technique
Lastly, it is one of the fastest ways to improve technique due to the one-on-one time with the
coach. So if you’re looking to step into the ring or want to perfect your angles and punching
technique, hitting the pads is a non-negotiable!
Essentially, pad work is a fun and versatile way to improve fitness for people of different
ages, strengths and fitness levels! Give it a try soon at 12 Rounds Boxing!
