Breathing is something you do naturally, but it is not something boxers can take for granted when they get in the ring. If you are a boxer, you need to breathe through your nose. If you don't, you will be vulnerable to fatigue as your fight proceeds and if you breathe with a slightly open mouth you can leave yourself at risk for a jaw injury if you get hit with a hard punch.
Breathing Properly
When new boxers step in the ring they may either breathe through their mouths or hold their breath when delivering a punch. During a demanding fight, you have to keep moving and keep breathing. If you stop breathing properly through your nose, fatigue will overwhelm your body.
Road Work
In order to prepare for fights, boxers do "road work" to get their legs and their lungs in shape for the movement that takes place in a fight. Fighters will run three to five miles three times a week when preparing for a fight. When you are running, try to make sure you breathe through your nose. Many people breathe through their mouths because that will increase their oxygen intake. However, that's incorrect. If you have clear nasal passages you will make more efficient use of your oxygen by breathing through your nose. Work on your breathing while doing road work.
Between Rounds
When a three-minute boxing round is over, you have an opportunity to catch your breath and refresh yourself. In order to make the best use of this one-minute period, breathe in through your nose slowly and deeply but breathe out through your mouth. During the fight itself you will be breathing in and out through your nose. But when you are between rounds exhale your carbon dioxide through your mouth.
While Punching
Even experienced fighters tend to hold their breaths while delivering a forceful punch. That's a mistake. Continue your breathing pattern while punching. Exhale as you deliver the blow and breathe in immediately after. If you listen closely to fighters, you may hear a grunt or noise that the fighter will make as he delivers a punch. This emphasizes that it is vital to breathe out on the exhale.
Injury Possibility
Breathing incorrectly can lead to injury in the boxing ring. If you get hit with a hard punch and your mouth is open, you have a much greater chance of suffering a broken jaw or another serious facial injury. When your mouth is closed and you are wearing a mouth guard, you have a better chance of absorbing the punch without getting hurt.
