by Coach Jarek Slagowski, Owner & Head Coach, Grind Boxing Gym
In recent years, I’ve noticed more women of all ages discovering the benefits of boxing training, whether with contact, as in sparring and competing, or not. No-contact training still offers all the benefits of this total-body workout without getting hit.
Like any sport, boxing is based on technical training and attributes like endurance, flexibility, strength and balance. Boxing is one of the best ways of getting into shape for women as they also learn real fighting skills.
Boxing training is lots of fun and very rewarding, but you have to know what you are doing. It is important to find a good gym or coach who will teach you proper stance, footwork, punches and defensive measures.
Weight loss is often a priority for women. A one-hour boxing workout including warm-up, stretching, stamina and balance exercises, strength training, footwork drills and punching can burn 800 to 1,200 calories. Besides the gains in fitness and endurance, other attributes like flexibility and functional strength are also important for a boxer. These benefits, combined with a nutritional diet, are a great way of controlling body weight.
Another benefit of boxing training is mental toughness. Going through a hard training session practicing your fighting skills improves confidence in yourself under pressure. This translates to self-defense skills. I have coached many Boxing for Self-Defense seminars for women who embraced the boxing principles for their protection.
Over my 40 years as a boxing coach, I’ve seen more and more women take on boxing for health, fitness and enjoyment.
Most are happy with no-contact training, but others want to compete. I coach the All-Ladies Prescott Boxing Team. We have participated in several national and international boxing tournaments including the National All-Female Boxing Championships in Atlanta, Georgia. We’ve enjoyed great results and even some championship belts.