Boxing, kickboxing and MMA have been dominated by men for years. It was a real man's world and women had no place in it. In recent years, however, this has changed more and more, and we are seeing the stereotypes associated with combat sports disappear day by day.
Women like Lucia Rijker, Claressa Shields, Ronda Rousey, Amanda Nunes and many others have repeatedly shown that women can also be at home in combat sports. But even if you don't want to fight at a professional level, you can benefit enormously from everything that combat sports have to offer.
Curious what that is? Read on.
Improve your mental and physical health with boxing
When you think of boxing, most people quickly think of the injuries it can bring.
Fun Fact: Football causes more injuries than boxing, kickboxing and MMA.
Now that this prejudice is out of the way, we can look at the positive effects of combat sports. There are quite a few, so I've listed the benefits in bullet points for clarity:
- Improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Increases both muscle strength and endurance
- Improves your coordination and balance
- Boosts your mental health through the release of endorphins
- You can mentally escape everyday life and focus on training
- Promotes weight loss – a 45-minute session quickly burns between 500 and 800 calories
- Improves your reflexes and reaction time
- You develop discipline and self-confidence
- You learn to defend yourself
As you can see, there are many reasons to start combat sports. But if the above list doesn't convince you, then perhaps this will:
There's nothing more satisfying than hitting a punching bag.
Full stop.
What to do if you're not sure?If you're not immediately convinced by a few words on your screen, I understand.
Still having doubts? Most gyms offer free trial sessions.
I can advise you to be brave and pop into a gym.
Once you've trained there, I can guarantee you'll want to do it again.
Were you already thinking of starting boxing, kickboxing or MMA? Then it's practical to buy your own pair of boxing gloves.
If you already have a rough idea of what you'd like, you can find all our women's boxing gloves here.
Would you prefer to speak to an adviser? Call +31 85 06 06 340.