Is Boxing Good for Anxiety During Perimenopause?
Boxing can be a powerful way to manage anxiety during perimenopause. Learn how hitting the bag burns off stress hormones, builds resilience, and helps you feel more in control.
Boxing and Anxiety: A Surprisingly Good Match
When anxiety hits during perimenopause, the urge is often to retreat, not to throw punches. But boxing, including bag work, shadowboxing, and pad work, turns out to be one of the most effective physical outlets for anxious energy. The combination of intense physical effort, rhythmic movement, and the need to focus on technique gives your nervous system something concrete to do with all that restless tension.
Why Perimenopause Makes Anxiety Worse
Fluctuating estrogen directly affects serotonin and GABA, two neurotransmitters that keep anxiety in check. When those hormones swing unpredictably, your stress response becomes more reactive. Small things feel bigger. Your body stays in a low-grade alert state. Cortisol, the stress hormone, can also rise during this life stage, especially if sleep is disrupted. This creates a cycle where anxiety feeds poor sleep, and poor sleep feeds more anxiety.
How Boxing Helps Reduce Anxiety
Boxing works on anxiety through several channels at once. The cardiovascular effort burns through excess cortisol and adrenaline, physically clearing the stress chemicals from your bloodstream. The focused attention required, watching your form, timing your punches, staying light on your feet, occupies your mind in a way that breaks the loop of anxious thinking. After a session, the release of endorphins and dopamine creates a genuine mood lift that can last several hours. Many women describe it as the first time in weeks they felt genuinely calm.
Practical Tips for Getting Started
You do not need to spar with anyone. A heavy bag, a set of gloves, and a short YouTube tutorial are enough to begin. Start with two to three sessions per week, each lasting 20 to 30 minutes. Shadowboxing at home in the morning is a low-barrier option on days when anxiety peaks early. Focus on breathing, exhaling sharply on each punch helps regulate your nervous system directly. If a class is available locally, the group energy can add a social dimension that further reduces anxiety.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
If your anxiety is severe or accompanied by heart palpitations, check with your GP before starting a high-intensity exercise programme. Boxing raises heart rate significantly, which is generally beneficial but can feel alarming if palpitations are already a concern. Keep sessions shorter on days when sleep has been poor, as overtraining can temporarily spike cortisol. Hydrate well and cool down slowly after each session.
Tracking What Works for You
Anxiety during perimenopause is rarely constant. It often clusters around certain cycle phases or life stressors. Logging your workouts and noting how your mood and symptoms shift afterward can help you spot patterns. PeriPlan lets you log workouts and track symptoms over time, so you can see whether boxing sessions are followed by calmer days. That kind of visible evidence is genuinely motivating when anxiety makes everything feel uncertain.
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