To stay injury-free in a ring, you need a proper stretching program. Incorporate the flexibility stretches in your every pre-workout warm-up. Stretching will help your muscles to prepare for the vigorous training session coming up ahead.
A recent research suggests that the dynamic stretching is very appropriate for a warm-up. A static stretch is good to perform after an exercise session. However, for boxers, dynamic stretching is more useful for pre-workout muscle toning.
Before moving on to the flexibility exercises, read the following guidelines thoroughly.
Safety Guidelines For Flexibility Exercises
We have compiled a quick checklist for you to follow before performing any kind of flexibility exercise or stretch.
- Before a flexibility exercise, warm up thoroughly.
- Don’t stretch beyond your comfort level.
- Avoid holding your breath while stretching.
- Each stretch must not be held more than 30 seconds.
- Between the stretches, shake out your limbs.
- Stop immediately if you feel any kind of pain or discomfort.
- You must feel loose and relaxed.
The best way to prepare yourself for any flexibility exercise is the use of leg stretcher. You can buy a good one here!
If you want a detailed guide to safe use of leg stretcher, we have more details for you in this article below.
Step By Step Guide To Use Of Leg Stretcher
Top 5 Boxing Stretches
Give your body good flexibility with our list of 5 best boxing stretches for flexibility. We recommend you to perform the exercises daily or every alternate day.
Don’t worry, you just need to repeat the exercises for about 15 minutes daily.
1. Neck Stretch
- Stand straight and put your left hand on the right side of your head.
- Now gently pull it towards the left shoulder.
- You will feel a stretch in your neck.
- Hold the stretch for about half a minute.
- Relax.
- Repeat for the other side as well.
2. Cat Stretch
- Place your hands and knees on the floor while keeping the spine straight.
- Your head must be pointed straight downwards.
- Inhale and exhale, pull the belly towards your sine, and round the shoulders. You must be looking at your legs.
- Hold the stretch for about 15 seconds.
- Take a deep breath and move back to the return position.
- Repeat the stretch for about 3-5 times.
3. Chest Stretch
- While standing, keep your spine straight like a rod.
- Take your both arms back and clasp together.
- Straighten the arms and move them upwards a bit.
- Hold the position for about 15-30 seconds.
- Unclasp hands, bring the arms forward at chest level and then clasp them.
- Keep back and arm straight to feel the stretch in the lats and upper back.
- Hold the position for about 15-30 seconds.
4. Side Stretch
- While standing straight, cross the right leg in front of the left one.
- Now lift your left arm over the head.
- Gently start to lean the head and body to the left. You will feel the stretch on the right side of your body.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat the stretch with the other side now.
- You can use a chair for the support in case of imbalance.
5. Roll Down Stretch
- Keep your feet a hip-width apart.
- While inhaling deeply, lift the arms above your head.
- Gently roll the body downwards and bring your arms down while exhaling.
- Simultaneously, pull in the abs towards the spine.
- Your knees must only be bent slightly when you are rolling down.
- Keep on rolling the body until your hands touch the feet.
- Straighten your legs slowly.
- If this rollover is a bit complex for you, place hands on the shins instead of your feet.
- Keep the head relaxed and downwards.
- Hold the position for about 15 seconds.
- When you are moving back to the starting position, take slow breaths.
- Repeat the stretch twice.
The Forward Fold With Shoulder Extension
The RDX Sports secret flexibility exercise to improve shoulder and back mobility. These are specifically used to increase flexibility and wider range of motion from traditional gymnastics.
- The forward fold with shoulder extension is an active loaded stretch from gymnastics.
- It doesn’t require heavy weight. (a broomstick and a small weight or ankle weights do the job well)
- We personally recommend the broomstick with weights so you can switch up and adjust the width and the kind of your grip.
- A great feature of this exercise that as you bend forward and lift the weight behind your body.
- The weight goes further and doesn’t only stretch your shoulders but it also helps your forward bend
- The weight can give you a counterweight to balance with while stretching downwards
- One can do this exercise with underhand or overhand grip, in straddle or with closed legs
- The underhand grip is more beneficial for your shoulders since the humerus and the elbow joint are in neutral position
- Do it with both grips to switch it up and prepare your shoulders as thorough you can in terms of grip width
- The wider you grab the broomstick (or pole) the easier to do the shoulder extension
- The narrower you grab it the harder it is
- The same applies to the distance of your foot stance
- The wider the straddle the easier it is and the closer your legs are to each other the harder
Warning!
While doing the flexibility exercises, we recommend you to keep a safe distance from your fellow trainers, long drops and uneven surfaces for better balance. We also recommend using any of our perfect yoga products that can completely change the way you see the world of yoga based stretches for better mobility and flexibility in your Boxing. Flexibility exercises make your body looser and help your muscles last longer especially after a long workout session where they can help warm up or cool down your body temperature and increase endorphins that will help muscle recovery.