Safe Sparring: Top 5 Tips For Preventing Boxing Injuries

Every sport comes with its own set of risks and injuries, but boxing is one that has a particularly bad reputation. Concussions, cuts and blows are just a few of the common boxing-related injuries along with sprains, dislocated shoulders and muscular injuries. There is no denying that boxing is a rough sport, but that doesn't mean that boxers shouldn't keep in mind what measures they could take to prevent injuries during boxing or training sessions.

Today, we look at our top 5 tips for safe sparring and preventing boxing injuries, so if you're someone who is addicted to the boxing ring, you'll certainly want to stick around and read on to find out more! 

1. Protective Gear Is An Absolute Must

Like any other sport or activity, protective gear plays a vital role in reducing the chances of both mild and severe injuries. When boxing, it is vital that you choose high quality protective gear that is able to minimise the impact that punches and blows can have on various parts of your body. The most common boxing PPE include head guards, belly guards, boxing gloves, leg or foot guards and mouth guards (the last thing you want is to cop a blow to the face and lose a couple of teeth!). 

Additionally, boxers should ensure that they have access to adequate pain relief treatment and wraps or strapping that you can easily wrap your hands with prior to putting on your boxing gloves. A good set of hand wraps can save the bones in your hands from developing microfractures that can occur when throwing forceful punches.

2. Eat Like A Boxer

Wearing protective gear and boxing safely is something that is always talked about, but when it comes to safe boxing, nutrition is rarely mentioned or considered. To be a strong athlete, you'll need to ensure that you are fuelling your body adequately. This means ensuring that you are getting sufficient calcium, protein and Vitamin D for healthy bones, thus reducing the risks of fractures and breaks. 

Keeping up with fluid intake is also necessary to keep your body hydrated, along with replenishing your electrolytes after a hard and sweaty session. Keep in mind that dehydration leads to fatigue, thus increasing the likelihood of concussions and other types of head injury. Boxers should consume a diet of complex carbohydrates, lean protein, healthy fats and at least 5 litres of water per day. 

3. Using Ointments and Moisturisers 

Unlike most sports, boxing is one that requires you to ensure that different ointments, creams and moisturisers are used to treat bruises and cuts on the skin. This is extremely important as cuts and bruises that are not treated properly at the time of impact can become worse over time. Some of the best products you can use include petroleum jelly and Vitamin-E creams if you have a cut or bruise. Be sure to also wipe any cuts with an alcohol swab prior to treatment with ointments in order to remove any germ or debris from your wounds. 

4. Improve Your Endurance Levels 

Being able to defend yourself from punches and blows is essential for preventing nasty injuries in boxing. As such, working on your endurance levels to ensure that you have excellent stamina to be able to withstand intense training procedures is key. A high level of physical conditioning is by far the best way to prevent serious injuries from occurring, so be sure to not just build endurance but also focus on mastering your footwork and punching technique. 

5. Know When To Stop 

Last but not least, every good athlete knows when it is time to stop. It is important to listen to your body as well as consult with a doctor or chiropractor if you are suffering with long lasting pain or injury. Boxing is a rigorous sport which means that you will also be required to give your body enough time to rest between sessions. It is all fine and dandy if you want to train hard and push yourself to the limit, but if it is causing you pain, perhaps you need to slow down. 

Whatever you decide, the main thing is to give yourself a minimum of one rest day per week to give your muscles and joints a break. This applies to both individuals who box for leisure or exercise, as well as competitive fighters preparing to be performing at their best come the day of their next match.

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Taking adequate safety measures whilst boxing is key to ensuring that you prevent serious injuries from occurring. We hope that these tips have taught you something new about preventing boxing injuries and will  thus, help you to become a better fighter both inside and outside the ring.