Considering boxing classes? There aren’t many other classes out there which can offer the superb mix of benefits you’ll gain if you get into boxing; fitness, self-confidence, people to rely upon and train with, and that competitive boost that pushes us all just a little bit further than we’d go alone. Not convinced yet? By the time we cover our five reasons you should get into boxing classes, you will be.
Tested regimens. The conditioning training you’ll experience in a boxing class aren’t the sort of theoretical regimens you’ll see in other classes; they’re refined, tested exercises. Competitive boxing demands that fighters be at peak fitness, which means that when a regimen isn’t up to snuff, natural selection weeds out the boxers using it. Over many years, boxing classes have become an excellent place for reliable, effective fitness training.
Competitive motivation. There’s something to be said for any form of fitness training which includes a competitive component; most of us are naturally competitive, and will perform better with competition as a motivator. When you participate in a boxing class, you’re building your body up for a test that leaves no question of whether you’re improving or not—which brings us to our next point.
Progress you can track. In many ways, traditional fitness progress is boring. It may be nice to be able to run a marathon, but the progress between couch potato and super-marathons isn’t exciting. With a boxing class, you’ll notice your reactions improving, your punches growing heavier, your footwork clearing up. You’ll notice that the gloves don’t feel as heavy when you’re tired, and that your hands are moving an awful lot faster. And of course, you’ll notice yourself winning more and losing less, if you choose to take sparring and matches seriously.
Self-defense. While there’s a strong argument for running away as a superior form of self-defense, it’s nice to know you can throw a punch and have it mean something—or dodge one before you run off the call the cops, if that’s more your speed. By familiarizing yourself with throwing and dodging punches, you’ll be better equipped to respond to violence, in whatever way you think is appropriate.
Mental training. The nature of boxing makes boxing classes a great place to build up your mental fortitude. Facing a tough regimen, with the theoretical end goal of fighting one-on-one with another trained fighter, lends itself to building up confidence, fortitude, and focus. There are plenty of great exercise regimens out there, but how many of them can offer that?
There you have it; five great reasons to take up boxing classes. Find a great teacher and a great class, and get to work—you won’t regret it. It’ll be hard work, but it will be fun—and very few exercise plans offer the same level of payoff in the long term.
