Boxing for mental health

[Blond Beast]

Any good trainer of a combat sport or martial art should tell you to never “take liberties”. This can sometimes be a fine line but most people ought to know when they are actually doing just that.
On the other side a good trainer will tell you how to inflict the most damage if you feel you or someone else is in real threat of serious harm.
Course if someone gets hurt it becomes a mess of court and testimonies. We’ve all heard the stories of one single punch ruining two people’s lives. So it’s a situation anyone should try to avoid.
Eyewitnesses are unreliable. There’s partial video clips out of context. Let’s face it there’s race, gender involved also.
I know there’s so many people on here whose lives would be much different if smart phones where a thing when they were much younger.

[OctoberRed]

Any good trainer of a combat sport or martial art should tell you to never “take liberties”. This can sometimes be a fine line but most people ought to know when they are actually doing just that.
On the other side a good trainer will tell you how to inflict the most damage if you feel you or someone else is in real threat of serious harm.
Course if someone gets hurt it becomes a mess of court and testimonies. We’ve all heard the stories of one single punch ruining two people’s lives. So it’s a situation anyone should try to avoid.
Eyewitnesses are unreliable. There’s partial video clips out of context. Let’s face it there’s race, gender involved also.
I know there’s so many people on here whose lives would be much different if smart phones where a thing when they were much younger.

We need The Beast back in here!

[ColeSalas]

It's crucial to remember the responsibility that comes with training in any martial art or combat sport. Knowing when not to "take liberties" and understanding self-defense are valuable skills that can help keep situations from escalating.
For more insights on mental health-related topics, you can visit MentalHealth.com. Managing emotions and reactions in high-stress situations is essential, and sometimes, therapy like psychodynamic therapy can help individuals explore their emotions and experiences, leading to better emotional regulation and decision-making.

[OctoberRed]

It's crucial to remember the responsibility that comes with training in any martial art or combat sport. Knowing when not to "take liberties" and understanding self-defense are valuable skills that can help keep situations from escalating.

Solid points.

[Omegamanic]

This is probably different to your typical posts but I wanted to write about my experiences with boxing and depression and praise the sport and maybe motivate others. I got into boxing pretty old, I was 31 had a shattered left elbow from my early twenties, was shy, drinking too much, taking too many drugs, had major depression and was dealing with the loss of two friends to suicide and depression.

I'm not as experienced or as good as many people in the forum. I was useless in fact, but I found myself through boxing. I got my ass kicked repeatedly in sparring, had no natural ability or athleticism but something about it gripped me from the first time I took a class. I found discipline and structure in my life for the first time, found satisfaction in the pain of pushing myself. When my friends all called me to go out drinking I rejected them in favor of the gym. I lost my dad in December and once again boxing saved me from my demons - I channelled all the rage and pain into the sport and didn't drink for months in preparation for a fight. It is still the one thing that I can credit to saving me from sinking into depression.

I've been training for six years now, Im well too old to go anywhere in the sport but it's given me everything antidepressants couldn't. Learning to defend myself and not be scared probably saved my life, gave me the confidence to do job interviews, approach beautiful women, and cured my anxiety. Due to COVID-19 I've been out of the sport for six months and game cheats, but have my first training session again next Friday. I was training for my fifth fight in March but it got cancelled due to the pandemic, and I can't honestly wait until I can get back into it. It will be a long road back to fight fitness but I'm looking forward to the journey. I do boxing because I have to do it.

So hopefully that's some motivation for the younger ones, make the most of your youth, train hard, push yourself you have many years ahead of me and I only regret I didnt get into it younger. Or for the older ones who are wondering whether it is worth it if you can't be champion, it depends what you mean by champion - just competing and surviving is a champion in my eyes. I am well aware of my abilities and that I cannot go anywhere in the sport. But what it's given me is my life back and for that it's priceless.

Your story is incredibly inspiring. Boxing has clearly been a powerful force in helping you overcome challenges and find purpose. Your resilience, commitment, and self-discovery through the sport are commendable. Thanks for sharing your journey, and best of luck as you return to training. Your message of motivation and the transformative impact of boxing is valuable for individuals of all ages.

[kamilawal]

I know that boxing helps the body to relax a lot

[WarVeteranO01]

I wouldnt suggest boxing for mental health unless you're violent, even then most "violent" dudes dont do well when the violence is directed back to them.

With that said, I would 100% recommend running and weight lifting. Nothing like the feeling of completing a 3+ mile run on a Chest day.

[Rockin']

As a kid I was always fighting. I moved to a different area and that just fell off.

When you train/spar daily, your serotonin is just maxed out, whether you know it or not.

The ride of this high is great, even though every muscle in your body hurts.

So mellow on the daily.

By the physical aspect boxing is not good for your mental health.

But for your soul you will find no better cleanser.............Rockin'