Boxing Bag Gym Workout is one of the most effective exercise for mental and physical FITNESS, but boxing bag workout is also essential for therapy for Parkinson’s Patients that is used by the ROCK STEADY Organization.
I realize there’s an emphasis on both push-ups and pull ups by the MAHA moment, but reconsider one of the oldest forms of exercises that dates to the Roman Empire, the simple boxing bag workout. Ladies this isn’t just a workout for guys but is becoming a popular sport cross fitness among women as well for a full body workout and self-defense.
The Main Benefit: Working out on a bag helped me eliminate my lower back issues and tight calves and numb feet after my Stage 2 Prostate Cancer in 2024.
In addition to these advantages, I have discovered boxing bag workout has helped me to eliminate my back issues after Prostate Cancer by strengthening my core muscles and rejuvenating my nerves and strengthening my lower lumbar area.
Those that have had abdominal surgery or hip surgery might have experienced nerve issues that are called nerve manipulation that can cause discomfort from the lower back, down the back of the legs with tight calves, and numbness in the feet. With time, you can see some improvement, but strengthening my core muscles with the boxing bag workout has helped speed up my recovery.
The boxing bag workout is also beneficial for those of us over the age of 50 that can help us maintain our stamina, core strength, balance, and cognitive ability. The boxing bag workout provides us with an age-defying lifestyle to remain active even if we are over the age of 60.
There are two areas that our health and fitness are determined by- ONE is our waistline, or our AB area, and TWO is the condition of our skin. The AMA is now using the waistline to determine the person’s health by taking the person’s height in inches and dividing our height by 2. This is in lieu of weighing ourselves on scales. For example, my healthy waistline should be 66- inches/ 2 = 33. But because I am in front of a camera on occasions, I use a denominator of 2.25 or 66-inches / 2.25 = 29.33- inches. My actual waistline is 29.25- inches.
The boxing bag workout helps to maintain our core muscles beyond our 30’s. At age 30 is when we start to lose muscle mass and reduce the production of collagen that has multiple benefits. Example, collagen aids in healthy age-defying joints and skin. There are very few cardio-aerobic exercises that provide the metabolic calories burn than working out on a boxing bag.
The feature image was an oil painting prepared from the photograph below:
Receive the Benefits that Boxers Obtain Working on the Bag
A boxing bag is a simple piece of exercise equipment—that is inexpensive compared to other exercise equipment that can be suspended on a chain in any room of a home. The boxing bag is one of the best full-body raw exercises that any person can perform with just basic training.
A typical boxing bag is stuffed with shredded clothe padded cylinder designed in various weights to withstand repeated strikes. The boxing bag has been an essential part of most boxing gyms across the country for decades. But its appeal extends far beyond the boxing gyms to home gyms. I have been working out on my own 80 Lb. boxing bag for over 20- years in my gym.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to get in to better shape or high performing athlete seeking to turbocharge your physical and mental toughness, the boxing bag workout delivers a full-body workout in less than 5- minutes. The boxing bag workout engages practically every muscle in the human body. The boxing bag workout sharpens the mind and builds resilience and stamina even for people like myself over 60. Believe me, after just two-3-minute rounds, you had a entire body workout.
The Boxing Bag Workout Benefits the following muscles:
- Primary Muscles: Deltoids, pectoralis major, obliques, glutes, and quadriceps are the primary drivers of power and movement in a boxing bag workout.
- Secondary Muscles: Triceps, biceps, rotator cuff, and calves play supportive roles, enhancing stability and control.
- Full-Body Engagement: A boxing bag workout is a compound exercise that integrates multiple muscle groups simultaneously, improving strength, endurance, and coordination.
- Cardiovascular Benefit: While not a muscle, the cardiovascular system is significantly engaged due to the high-intensity, repetitive nature of the workout, improving heart and lung endurance.
Apostle Paul’s View on Boxing Bag Workout
Even the Apostle Paul referred to the benefits of the cardio-aerobic boxing bag workout in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27:
Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a physical advantage, but we do it to receive an eternal advantage. I do not run aimlessly without purpose, I do not box as one beating the air, like shadowboxing; but I train my body to submit to my will, lest I do not set an example to others and I should disqualify myself.
There are several other benefits from working out on a Boxing Bag that are backed up by the medical field and sports trainers to provide a powerhouse for holistic health benefits. The boxing bag workout has shown results by improving improved motor skills and muscle control for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Patients. The organization like ROCK STEADY uses boxing bag workout to help mitigate the effects of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
An exercise that existed since the Roman Empire continues to benefit both men and women of various ages, fitness levels, and requirements with impressive results to tone, condition, and tone their bodies for sports and active lifestyle. For those over 50, while strength and conditioning are main objectives, the real benefit is neurological control that can decline after as we age. The advantage of working out on a bag is the fitness that can be obtained in 5 to 6 minutes.
A simple five-minute boxing bag workout can build rock-solid core muscles that are also excellent for those of us that suffer from back issues, especially in the lumbar area, that I have experienced after my multiple surgeries.
The core isn’t just about achieving six-pack abs; pictorials, biceps, and triceps muscles but for strengthening the one area that can be used to rehabilitate the back by strengthening our abdominal muscles to stabilize our lower back, hips, and pelvis areas. Boxing bag workout helps to maintain unrestricted body movement even over the age of 50, or at 68 as I am.
Boxing Bag Workout for Age-Defying health and fitness
While we can’t do anything about our actual age in years, we can have a huge effect on how we age in those years. In the photograph below, I am 68 years old posing for what I refer to as an AB Challenge that was taken at our hangar in April of 2025:
Those of us that have several surgeries, especially in abdominal or hip areas, as I have. I experienced what is called surgical manipulation. Surgical manipulation can develop nerve issues, i.e., tightens in the calves and numbness in the feet, as in my case. These symptoms got so serious that I couldn’t walk for long distances or stand for long periods without balance issues. If you ride a motorcycle, you got to have balance.
Along with my routine IRONCLAD Workout, I have included what I refer to as my AB Rehab where I perform AB exercises along with 3 rounds on the boxing bag. Below, I have included my AB Rehab exercises below (These are demonstrated by my Brandy, a lady that works out in my gym):
NOTE: When you throw a punch, impact the boxing bag between your pinky and ring knuckles to prevent injury to the wrist. Also avoid punching the bottom part of the bag where the stuffing is the densest.
Both the AB Rehab and my working out on the boxing bag have reduced issues in my back and eliminated my nerve issues significantly after my Prostate Cancer. My recovery took place in the space of three days, not months. That is how effective the Boxing bag workout is.
Sports Science of Throwing a Punch on the Bag
When you throw punches at a boxing bag, every strike requires rotational torque forces generated from the forearms, core muscles, and feet. For instance, a classic jab-cross combination involves twisting at the waist, engaging the obliques and transverse abdominis muscles to transfer power from the feet, legs, and through your torso to your fists. I want to feel as my pectoral muscles are rotating toward the bag. The bag workout causes a dynamic engagement that goes far beyond the static exercises like planks or ab crunches.
The boxing bag workout is functional training that mimicking real-life movements that demand core activation for stability and power. Studies in sports science highlight the importance of torque exercises, such as those in boxing can increase core muscle strength by 20-30% over traditional workout methods with cardio or strength training. Consider working out with a boxing bag as cross-training function.
Over time, this leads to better posture, reduced risk of injury, reduced falls, and enhanced athletic performance. The boxing bag workout improves sports like golf, running or weightlifting, and working in hobbies, like in my case is working in my welding shop.
Moreover, the constant need to absorb the bag’s recoil forces your core muscles to act as a shock absorber, building resilience. Beginners might want to start with 1–2-minute rounds and gradually increasing intensity up to multiple 3-minute rounds. In my workout sequence, the boxing bag workout is next to my last exercise element, spinning or my bike exercise that is part of my IRONCLAD Workout session. My boxing bag workout includes hooks uppercuts, and sidekicks which further challenge the body’s core.
Incorporating footwork around the boxing bag amplifies these effects of turning a simple punch into a comprehensive core cardio-aerobic cross-training workout. By committing to three- 3-minute rounds six times per week for a total of 54 minutes just on the bag, you’ll notice improvement in core definition, functional strength, and especially cognitive functions that remain sharp as we age.
Alleviating Back and Disc Issues
One of the most underrated benefits of working out on a boxing bag is its potential to mitigate disability back pain and disc-related problems, which affect millions worldwide. Chronic back issues can often stem from weak AB muscles, poor ergonomics posture, and imbalances that are caused by sedentary lifestyles. Boxing bag workout addresses these symptoms by strengthening the posterior kinetic chain—the muscles along the back, including the erector spinae and latissimus dorsi—while promoting proper spinal alignment.
Unlike high-impact activities that jar the spine, punching a boxing bag workout is low-impact when done correctly. The key lies in technique: maintaining a neutral spine, engaging the core muscles, and using hip rotation rather than leaning forward toward the bag excessively. The punch is done by pushing off and rotating with the ball of each foot to produce torque. This torque rotation with the ball of each foot, is what KRAV MAGA coaches. This torque with controlled movement can decompress the spine, improving blood flow to intervertebral discs and reducing inflammation.
Physical therapists often recommend similar rotational exercises for their patients that suffer from herniated discs or sciatica. The boxing bag workout enhances mobility without excessive strain or rotation.
Research from rehabilitation journals suggests that activities that involve working out on the boxing bag can improve lumbar stability, potentially decreasing back pain by 40% in consistent practitioners. I have reduced my back issues by 90% just in 6- days along with the rest of my AB Rehab exercises, shown above. Anyone that surfers from back issues the AB Rehab and boxing bag workout can improve your condition.
For those with existing back issues, starting slow is crucial—use lighter gloves, I prefer using kickboxing gloves, and focus on form to avoid aggravation by over rotation at first. Over following weeks, you strengthened your core and back muscles to prevent disc compression. Pairing this with stretching post-workout can further enhance flexibility, turning boxing bag workout sessions into a therapeutic tool for long-term back health.
Enhancing Coordination and Agility
The Boxing Bag Workout, that is a Close Kinetic Chain (CKC) exercise, integrates the entire body working together instead of independently, and boxing bag workout is a masterclass in this skill building. Punching requires precise timing between your eyes, hands, feet, and brain, great for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Patients.
You must judge the bag’s swing movement and adjust your stance and deliver strikes with accuracy while moving fluidly to avoid “counterattacks” from the rebounding bag. I have used bungee cords to help stabilize the boxing bag as if I was using a spotter on the bag.
The other huge benefit of boxing bag workout promotes hand-eye-foot coordination that builds neural neuropathways that improve overall motor skills even for older people to prevent the ravages of aging. Beginners often struggle with rhythm, but as sessions progress, the brain adapts creating new pathways, fostering better proprioception (awareness of body position), this deteriorates with age.
Those involved in sports like golf, basketball or tennis can benefit from this type of workout by developing quicken reflexes that are honed on the bag that can translate into faster reactions on the court. I even had a football coach stop by my gym to watch my work out on the bag and decided to incorporate the boxing bag workout into their fitness training.
Neurological studies show that rhythmic and repetitive striking enhances interhemispheric communication in the brain, leading to 15-25% improvements in coordination tests. Adding combinations—jab, cross, hook, uppercut, and sidekicks—forces the body to follow sequence movements efficiently, reducing clumsiness in daily life and balance issues.
For older adults, over 60, like myself, this can prevent falls by improving balance and sharpening reaction times; it is far better to catch yourself than brace for impact. With consistent practice, you’ll find yourself more agile in your daily activities and especially those over 70 with independence. None of us wants to lose our independent lifestyle. Boxing bag workout provides a path to retain our independence.
Sharpening Cognitive Function
Beyond physical prowess, boxing bag workout offers us profound cognitive benefits. The mental demands of boxing—strategizing punch sequences, anticipating the bag’s movement, and maintaining focus amid fatigue—this stimulates our brains like a puzzle. To me the bag workout is what I refer to as active meditation that stimulates the brain and reduces metal stress.
This is compared to “thinking on your feet” that engages executive functions such as planning, decision-making, and problem-solving that is essential for cognitive function.
Dopamine and endorphins released during intense boxing bag workout sessions enhance mood and mental clarity, while increased blood flow to the brain to support neurogenesis (new neuron growth). Research in cognitive psychology indicates that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) like boxing bag workout can boost memory and attention span by up to 20%.
For professionals in high-stress jobs, or even people who are retired, boxing bag workout translates to better focus and reduced mental fog. I can attest to having high-stress jobs, where I worked 35- years as a grid engineer dealing with emergency outages, ice storms, tornadoes and hurricanes on transmission lines in the Mississippi Grid.
The rhythmic nature also promotes mindfulness, akin to meditation, helping manage our stress and anxiety. Over time, practitioners report improved multitasking and abilities to learn in new skills at a quicker pace. It’s no wonder boxers are often praised for their sharp wits.
Improving Balance and Stability
Balance is foundational to movement, and boxing bag workout challenges it dynamically. Shifting between your feet—constantly shifting your weight, pivoting on toes and rotating on the ball of each foot, and recovering from off-balance strikes builds equilibrium. The bag’s unpredictable swing forces quick adjustments, engaging stabilizer muscles in the ankles, knees, and hips.
This proprioceptive training reduces fall risks, especially for an aging population. Balance from this type of exercise in physical therapy often mimic these movements in life, showing improvements in vestibular function (inner ear balance). A study in gerontology found that similar activities enhanced balance scores by 30% in participants over 50. If you lose your balance, you lose your independence, this is all too real to me that I won the battle.
Circling the bag or shadowboxing elements, like Rocky did in the movies Rocky, amplifies these gains. Making the boxing bag a essential point of your workout to promote more stable in sports and life. Is the result personal to me? Greater confidence in physical activities and fewer injuries from slips or twists.
Boxing Bag Workout to Boost Stamina and Endurance for Stamina
Boosting Stamina and Endurance is the ability to sustain effort over time. The high-intensity bursts of punching interspersed with active recovery from boxing bag training, which torches calories and improves cardiovascular health. Your heart rate spikes during rounds, training the aerobic and anaerobic systems for better oxygen utilization.
Starting with 1 to 2-minute rounds and building up to three-3-minute rounds with one minute rest period for water breaks helps build endurance and stamina. Over months, VO2 max (a measure of aerobic capacity) can increase by 10-15%, per exercise physiology research. This stamina carries over to running, cycling, or even prolonged workdays without fatigue. Even working in my welding shop that I now do as my second career.
Full-body workout demands building muscular endurance, allowing longer performance without burnout. Hydration and nutrition are key during rest periods and post workout, but the bag’s accessibility makes it ideal for home workouts. We CAN NOT get to our mid 60’s and think retirement means we retire from physical challenges and activities.
Cultivating Mental Toughness working on the boxing bag forges mental toughness, the grit to push through discomfort and obstacles improves our lives in so many areas. Facing the boxing bag alone in a gym builds resilience against adversity. Physical exhaustion mirrors life’s challenges, teaching perseverance. Psychologically, overcoming “the wall” of fatigue releases feel-good chemicals, reinforcing positive habits.
Sports psychologists note that combat sports, like KRAV MAGA that I do enhance self-efficacy, with practitioners showing higher tolerance for stress. This mental fortitude aids in personal and professional goals, from quitting bad habits to tackling tough projects. In essence, the boxing bag workout becomes a metaphor for life’s: you learn to roll with the punches of life and keep going. That TRUE GRIT is to have a Never Quit Attitude.
In essence, the boxing bag workouts becomes a metaphor for life’s: you learn to roll with the punches of life and keep going. That TRUE GRIT is to have a Never Quit Attitude.
My Books on KINDLE in E-Book and Paperback:
The Catabolic Diet & Fitness Program to turn your body into a Calorie-Burning-Juggernaut to drop weight and inches off:
Golfers Sync-Preset Strike-Zone to hit more Fairways and Greens to lower your Score and Handicap by taking your golf swing from the batter’s box to the Tee box.
The Excalibur Athletes Forged Performance for Parents of Homeschooling Children who wants to include an Athletics into their children’s curriculum:
Joshua’s Gauntlet of Divine Providence, the history on how Israel became a country and retained its identity through exiles, wars where the people of Israel were facing unimaginable odds and won the peace:
The Sayeret Warriors of Rephaim: Sayeret Matkal is one of Israel’s most Elite Secret Commando Rescue, Reconnaissance, and Black Ops Units in the World like their Raid they executed on Entebbe in 1976:
OPERATION DOG TAGS: Defender’s Oasis Garrison Tactical Athletic Geared Sports for PTSD Military & First Responders
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been used to help athletes dealing with slumps and people that are dealing with PTSD’s for multiple reasons. Physical therapy that includes athletic fitness and sporting activities in team sports setting are great techniques to address these symptoms of PTSD’s or even slumps in performance. There are other benefits in having a Health and Fitness program that even includes Yoga and cardio-aerobics with strength training for your general health and well-being. This includes developing skilled hobbies:
All my books are on KINDLE in E-Book and Paperback, please shop on KINDLE to improve your health and fitness to have an Age-Defying Lifestyle. You can’t purchase your health or fitness; you can only invest in Your health and fitness where you treat your health and fitness like a 401(k) Plane. Even over the age of 60, I still have an Age-Defying Lifestyle that I had in my mid-30’s to model:
