Before a boxer starts any serious training, his body requires a warm-up. A good warm-up properly performed, is beneficial in many ways. Experience will always show that a sufficient amount of warming up will protect a boxer from the muscle strain that can result from very strenuous exercise. The basic purpose of the warm-up, as its name indicates, is to raise the body temperature, particularly that of the deep-lying muscles. It also stretches the ligaments and various membranes, so that the body’s flexibility-and consequently its readiness for athletic activity-is increased, which then accelerates the metabolic process of the cells, and also speed up reflexes.

Among the exercises that are suitable for warming up are jogging, running at a comfortable speed or other activities of types described earlier. The important thing is that they should cause the body to move gently and freely. Warm-up exercises help a boxer to find out the degree of intensity and length of time needed for his body temperature to rise to the right point, when he is searing freely.