How to Breathe Properly in Boxing and Stay Relaxed. In this article I share 5 tips on how you can breathe properly while shadow boxing. Breathing is something that we do every single day without even thinking about it. This is very important in boxing but it is hard to do. It is hard because it’s probably natural to think that if you are going to punch you have to hold your breath and be tense, but actually the truth is the opposite. To get more power in your punches you need to breathe and to get more speed in your punches you need to be able to breathe properly. Otherwise, it is not going to take you that long to gas out.
1. Shadow boxing, hands down
Work only on relaxed leg movement, balance posture and rhythm. combination of steps in angle, changing orthodox and south paw stances and just work around about 30-60 sec. With hands down its hard to tense up or hold your breath. Breathing into nose out to mouth. Use only 50-70% of your speed.
2. Moving around, hands lifted to position
Same as tip 1 but your hands are lifted to position to protect your vital points, head, face, upper body. There is no punches in this stage. Working on relaxed stepping around with good form, proper breathing. While keeping upper body and arms relaxed. Do this as long as you wish to build good habit of relaxation in arms while maintaining continuity of breathing. Speed is 50-70%
3. Shadow boxing with relaxed single jabs
Tip 3 is adding relaxed single jabs into your exercise. Exhaling with each punch. Still relaxed and 50-70% speed. Moving with super relax punches and breathwork.
4. Adding head movements
The next tip is to add Bob and Weave to exercise 3. You should tuck chin in and curl a bit into but do not bend forward but use your footwork to lower and lift yourself up.
5. Increase gradually your intensity
Finally tip 5 is to gradually increase your speed to your maximum. However, if you feel your breathing, footwork, rhythm and/or relaxation is disturbed lower back your speed to maintain your good habits.
Sometimes in the future I will share a partner exercise to advance further with partner exercises and with your bob & weave.