Combat sports such as boxing, Muay Thai and wrestling are great activities that everyone should pick up. They provide too many benefits for someone to pass up. That being said, college students especially should pick up combat sports as our demographic can greatly benefit from it.
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of combat sports is increased physical fitness. Almost every professional boxer that you see has a lean, muscular build, and there is a reason for it. Combat sports are demanding, great workouts, so the body naturally develops. Plus, most combat sports use a variety of muscles, meaning you’re practically getting a full-body workout.
Improving one’s physical health in college is incredibly important. College students have busy lives between school work, actual work and social lives. Adding in time each week to exercise helps those other three aspects.
According to a study from North Carolina State University, for every hour of exercise per week, college students GPAs went up by 0.06. Combat sports can simply be used for fitness purposes that college students should pursue for improved lives.
An additional health benefit ties into mental health. Combat sports are a fantastic way to help deal with stress and self-confidence issues. Working out in general helps with these, but combat sports can take it to another level.
For stress, hitting a heavy bag or grappling with an opponent can be cathartic in some ways. By working your heart out, the feeling of accomplishment and exhausting yourself can be comforting. Scientifically speaking, these exercises also boost endorphins. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that the brain releases as natural pain and stress fighters. A solid boxing workout will boost these suckers like crazy.
As for self-confidence, this one might be a bit obvious. Mastering a craft that can be translated to self-defense will boost anyone's self-confidence. Just the comfort of being able to trust yourself in most sticky situations and to really understand your limits will provide a moral boom like no other.
This notion translates to the last benefit of combat sports for college students, which is the ability to defend one’s self. Self-defense is so incredibly important and everyone should be able to protect themselves. This especially pertains to college students who are often out on the weekends, sometimes not at the best part of Columbia too.
Both men and women who are ever walking alone in Columbia, whether that be at Five Points or on campus, need to be able to keep themselves safe. Spending a few weeks learning basic boxing or simple judo throws could tremendously improve their chances of getting out of a tense situation safely.
Combat sports are so incredibly important for all ages, but especially for college students. Now is the time in life where many students feel stressed and overwhelmed, and these sports are a great way to overcome those feelings. Don’t wait until you wish you had picked one up.