Fencing is an elegant sport that has been enjoyed by many since the middle ages. It is a physical and mental challenge and fencers try to score points by striking their opponent in a designated area while trying to avoid being hit themselves. It is a very popular sport at the Olympics and its popularity is growing all the time. I have been fencing for ten years now and below I am going to reveal the major health benefits of this sport.

fencing-endurance

It Improves Endurance and Strength

When you are fencing you need intense footwork to ensure that you can dodge your opponent’s strikes. A bout of fencing involves plenty of attacks and counterattacks, so you need to have peak muscular strength so that you do not become fatigued before you have even got a point. The more that you fence, the better your strength and endurance will become.

Increases Anaerobic Fitness

Fencing is an explosive sport where you have moments of high intensity activity. Fencing will help your body to develop the ability to perform with a lack of oxygen. As your anaerobic fitness gets better, your body will be able to work for longer and harder before your lactic acid levels increase and force you to stop for a breather or slow down.

Increased Aerobic Fitness

Fencing is an activity that increases oxygen levels in your blood. This extra oxygen will lead to improve blood circulation, improve your immune system, and increase your body’s ability to get rid of pollutants such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide. When your heart rate starts to increase, the small blood vessels in your body widen. When this happens regularly, as it does when you are fencing, you will find that your cardiovascular health will improve. The better your cardiovascular health, the less chance you have of having a heart attack or a stroke later on in your life.

Improves Mental Strength

Many people consider fencing to be a type of physical chess as there is a lot of strategy and tactics behind each move that you make. However, to make the right moves, you need a lot of mental strength. Each move that you make needs to be calculated – you make the wrong move, and it could be your undoing. You need to be mentally switched on at all times when you are fencing, so this will obviously improve your mental strength over time.

Helps to Reduce Stress

Nowadays, most of us live very stressful lives and it is always good get away from that every now and then. One of the ways that you can forget about the stresses in your life is to take up fencing. When you are fencing your mind is focused on what is happening in front of you, so you do not have time to think about the troubles in your life. Furthermore, your body will release endorphins that will make you feel good.

fencing-stress

Improves Your Coordination

Unlike sports such as rowing or running, fencing is an activity that requires your body to move in a full range – your legs and arms have to work together in order to defend and attack. The better your coordination is, the better chances you will have of coming out on top. The more that you practice fencing, the better coordinated you will become.

Improves Your Balance

If you are looking to improve your balance, then you can do a lot worse than taking up fencing. This is a defensive and offensive sport where balance is absolutely key. If you have poor balance, then you will never win a fencing bout. However, you can quickly improve your balance by fencing a few times a week. You can then use your improved balance in your day to day life.