What boxing does: Benefits and harms for the health of men and women. Take a hit: should girls take up boxing? I started boxing at the age of

Any responsible parent wants only the best for their child. If a child shows a desire to engage in any sport, it is necessary to support him in his endeavors and not dissuade him. For each sport there are certain age limits that should be adhered to.

Boxing - pros and cons

Boxing can safely be considered a universal sport. It is perfect for both boys and girls, although we are, of course, more accustomed to seeing representatives of the stronger sex in it. Boxing perfectly develops coordination, fosters responsibility, and teaches you to be patient.

When practicing boxing, the child will develop responsibility and realize the importance of making decisions. Among other things, this sport develops almost all muscle groups, teaches you how to take a blow and defend yourself. Remember that boxing is an unusual fight; it is a sport through which you can develop responsibility, determination, patience and fortitude.

As with any sport, boxing cannot be avoided without injuries. To minimize it, there is special equipment - boxing gloves, helmet, mouth guard. But they will not completely protect the baby and bruises and abrasions will still be present. Don't be afraid of this. Not even all professional boxers have broken noses and bones, so most likely it won't go further than bruises.

Optimal age

Very often you can hear the question from adults - when is it not too late to start boxing? The answer is clear - it's never too late! Even if you are 30-40 years old and have a great desire to engage in this sport, feel free to go to the section.

If we talk about children, the most optimal age is 8-10 years. At about 6-7 years old, it is best to send a child to a general sports section, and then he will come to boxing already prepared and with basic skills. Boxing is a unique sport and it’s never too late to send your child to such a section. There are many examples of people who started boxing at a more mature age and later became world champions. The most important requirement for boxing is the absence of contraindications. Often, poor health and various diseases become an obstacle, therefore, before sending your child to the boxing section, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination at the clinic.

If a child expresses a desire to take up boxing, support him and take him to the section for an initial lesson. You should also not force your child to take up this sport just because the parents really want it.

Boxing is a sport that you can start practicing at any age. The main thing is the absence of contraindications, great desire, responsibility and patience!

There are five main groups in amateur boxing:

• 12 years old - junior youth group;
• from 13-14 years old - average youth;
• from 15-16 years old - senior youth;
• from 17 to 18 years old - girls and juniors;
• from 19 to 34 years old - adult group.

Depending on age, there are time limits and certain rules. Such age restrictions relate, first of all, to competitions in amateur boxing and do not in any way relate to training. Great desire and willpower are the first steps to success. It is likely that in a few years your child will become a world champion and a world-famous personality, and most importantly - your pride!

Trainers are rarely interested in why a person decided to start attending a boxing section. In addition, most often newbies will not tell the truth. But there are several main motivations that encourage people to start visiting a boxing gym:

• The first of them is a tribute to fashion. This motivation is relevant for all types of martial arts, but no one realizes it. The main problem here is that a person who decides to start training simply has no idea what he will face. Most often, such people have enough patience for a couple of weeks and no more. After the first couple of sparring sessions, they decide to stop boxing and, at best, switch to fitness.
• The second no less popular reason is the desire to learn how to fight. As a rule, such beginners are a pleasant find for trainers, as they diligently study and follow all instructions. But in most cases, they study for about six months, after which they decide that they are ready for the practical application of the acquired skills. After this, two scenarios for the development of events are possible. In the first case, the beginner demands that he be invited to participate in tournaments and experienced coaches, for obvious reasons, refuse to fulfill this requirement. As a result, the person gets offended and leaves the sport. But even if he is allowed into the ring, in almost one hundred percent of cases he loses his first fight and also leaves the gym. The second scenario is the worst for sports, since a person goes to look for use of his skills on the street. Most often, he ends up in the hospital quite quickly, after which he simply will not be accepted back.
• The third reason that motivates people to start boxing is the desire to improve their physical fitness. Of course, if you have never played sports before, your level of physical fitness will increase. However, you need to be aware of what awaits you in the future. Most people have no idea what kind of stress boxers face.

Neglect of one's own health among beginners

Of course, if the coach notices this, he will immediately send the person home for treatment, but this cannot always be considered. In a favorable situation, the athlete may lose consciousness or fall from severe pain. In severe cases, very serious consequences are possible, ranging from problems with the ligamentous-articular apparatus and ending with a heart attack.

The second group includes those who try to solve any problem with their health with the help of medications or increase athletic performance through the use of sports pharmaceuticals. It is no secret that many amateurs use doping even to participate in minor tournaments in order to get higher. There is probably no professional boxer who has not used sportpharma at least once. But now the conversation is about amateurs who take steroids on their own and make serious mistakes.

Wrong choice of boxing trainer or gym

Most coaches do everything possible to adapt as much as possible to their players and especially beginners. He can explain the same thing to you several dozen times in the hope that you will correct the mistakes, but if he is used to accompanying recommendations with obscenities or slaps on the head, then you will not be able to avoid this. If during the first couple of lessons you do not like the trainer’s approach to training and you personally, then it is better to immediately start looking for a new mentor.

Lack of progress and results in boxing

Someone will be able to become a master of sports in a couple of years, while others will not be able to win even the neighborhood championship in a similar period of time. The point here may be both in the physical characteristics of the boxer and in his attitude to the sport. There can only be one way out of this situation - a conversation with a coach.

Watch a motivational video for beginner boxers:

Many of those who decided to take up boxing, but are already far from adolescence, wonder: is it too late? And is it worth starting at all, since no sporting results are expected?

Well, let's try to figure it out.

Thirty years and three years

The ancient Greeks said: “A good beginning is half the battle.” But if you never start, then nothing will happen. And you can lie on the stove all your life - in the modern version, on the sofa in front of the TV with a bottle of beer. Here the famous epic about Ilya Muromets comes to mind, who lay on that very stove for thirty and three years, but then rose from it and became a hero. Apparently, a thousand years ago, man faced the same problems and tasks - to overcome himself, get up and move forward.

On one of the forums I read the following (I quote almost verbatim): “Tell me, is it not too late at 32 years old (almost like Ilya Muromets!) to take up boxing? Because I’m already old and lead a sedentary lifestyle. True, I’ve been going to the gym for the last six months. I try not to drink, but it doesn’t work very well. And now I want to try boxing. Isn’t it a little late?”

We answer: no, it’s not too late!

Life is such a thing that you have to constantly push yourself to achieve something! Only overcoming oneself leads a person to a successful lifestyle. Regime, diet, regular training are the components of success, athletic figure and excellent physical shape.

And it’s better to start practicing now, because tomorrow you will regret that you didn’t start today, and in a year you will regret it even more.

Success comes late

As for sports results, there are many examples when people came to boxing at a fairly mature age (for the sport) and reached the top.

The legendary Rocky Marciano. Twice world heavyweight champion in 1952 and 1956. The only heavyweight boxer who has never been defeated in 49 fights. He started boxing at the age of 24.

Another example is James Smith, who came to boxing after 25 years. At 28 he turned professional. World heavyweight champion 1985-1987 according to WBA.

At the age of 27, Tony Thompson began boxing. He became a top fighter and met, among others, Vladimir Clicquot.

And this is not the limit. Martin Rogan started boxing at the age of 29! And before that, and at the beginning of his boxing career, he worked as a simple taxi driver in the city of Belfast. The laurels of champion of England and the British Commonwealth awaited him ahead.

And finally (we won’t go far for examples) - our fellow countryman and compatriot - Nikolai Valuev. He also came to boxing not very young - at the age of 20.

Take the first step

You are still thinking. And the main thoughts - am I capable, will I be able to, will I have enough physical strength?

We answer: physical strength, especially for amateur activities, is far from the main thing. The main thing is fortitude, the ability to overcome oneself, courage and self-confidence. And in adulthood, these qualities are no less important than in youth. You come to the gym and know that you will be beaten, albeit sparingly. But, anyway, you come and train. You defend and attack. This is the very ability to take a punch that is necessary in everyday life. Physical activity, if controlled, has never harmed anyone. You are an office worker who has become fat... You are trying to make an effort on yourself. Go to the gym, fitness club. But it's of little use. Although you seem to be doing it. The thing is that most people, even if it sounds trite, are lazy by nature. And even though they seem to have made an effort, they continue to be lazy. They go to the gym and do something listlessly, thinking that they are athletes. No, they need to be “driven.” So that there is someone who “drives”. To have those you can look up to. This is especially important for those who are already aged, because with age a person becomes even more lazy. And the energy is no longer the same if we compare 15-20 and 35-40 years.

A boxing gym or ring is perhaps the best comprehensive sports equipment that provides unique physical activity. It is uniform for the whole body. This is also a workout for the cardiovascular system. An excellent technique for comprehensive muscle development. All this, like nothing else, keeps the body in good shape.

This is also a solution to the problem of excess weight. And it hits especially after forty or even close to this age threshold, when the body’s metabolism slows down. You gain noticeable weight and you have to either strictly limit yourself to food or radically change your lifestyle. Increase physical activity. But it’s unlikely that anyone will want to exchange a cozy office chair, especially with a leadership position, for a loader’s uniform or a lumberjack suit.

And here boxing comes to the rescue. You don't come to boxing school with the goal of becoming a champion. And experienced trainers know how to “lead” you.

Don't be afraid that you will appear in front of your colleagues at work with a broken face or a black eye. Everything's under control. Plus modern means of protection.

In the first lessons, the beginner simply practices the technique and correctness of the strikes. He is not yet allowed to participate in doubles classes. But even in the ring, an amateur athlete’s chance of getting grass is close to zero.

And yet, all sorts of far-fetched fears prevent you from crossing the threshold of the boxing school.

So, they say, you will come to the section, and there the muscular jocks will make a cutlet or chop out of me. In general, all the insides will be beaten off. Maybe it will come to fractures.

So what is it really like?

The answer is given by the newcomers themselves. Here's what they write roughly on different forums (we summarize and edit the answers, but leave the essence unchanged):

No one will make a cutlet out of you. Boxers and the boxing team are a special world where everything is built on respect for the opponent. There can be no talk of any humiliation. Go and study without any fear. There are a lot of pot-bellied guys and frail young men in my group, and everyone is happy. Training, yes, at first you will be very exhausted. The boxing school has an adult group for people from 18 to 50 years old. Different techniques. The training begins with general physical preparation, that is, warm-up. Then development of technology. With every training there is something new: first with myself, then with a partner on the paws, then on apparatus, then sparring. And no one looks at your appearance in the sense of being “fat,” and no one has a complex about it.

Until the end of the week, the Museum of Moscow is hosting an exhibition “Project 77”, dedicated to the stories of people who know first-hand what it means to leave their comfort zone, overcome themselves and willpower. Media and unknown, young and adults, successful and unemployed - 77 people, united by the Rocky Road and Laboratory ABC community, tell their stories. If you don’t have time to go to the exhibition, then don’t be upset: we have already talked with one of its participants - coach Andrei Nazarov - about boxing as a way to become stronger, and first of all, stronger than yourself. We also talked to three girls whose lives were completely changed thanks to boxing gloves. Now we know for sure that boxing for girls is very cool and not at all dangerous. We're going to sign up, what about you?

Andrey Nazarov, trainer at Rocky Road Gym

Can boxing be a complete replacement for fitness?

During training, all muscle groups are worked out: we can say yes. In addition, after basic training, many boxers additionally engage in weight training.

There are many myths around boxing. Could you dispel them?

The most important myth that lives in people’s heads is that they will come to boxing and be immediately sent to sparring. This is, of course, not true. No one will let unprepared beginners into the ring one on one with an opponent. Many people, especially girls, don’t need to learn how to work with an opponent at all. But for men, in my opinion, it is mandatory, although some of them completely refuse. Many girls think that boxing will make her an “iron” man with big muscles. This is definitely not the case. Just watch the boxing broadcast on TV. Boxers do not look like jocks, but on the contrary, they are “dried” and very dexterous. They weigh the same as the average person. With regular exercise, the body becomes more wiry. There is no need to be afraid of this, any athletic person has wiry.

What are the main benefits of boxing?

The main benefits are the development of coordination and dexterity. A boxer, unlike a wrestler, cannot win using his muscles and weight. If a boxer's head doesn't work, he'll never win. Imagine how smart you need to be to simultaneously attack, defend, and analyze the enemy’s strategy? And at the same time sometimes get hit on the head. Many of us cannot do even basic things: for example, patting ourselves on the head and tapping our stomachs at the same time. Regular training corrects this. If we talk about the physical component, first of all, it is also an excellent cardio workout. Strengthens the entire cardiovascular system.

Are there any contraindications?

If you go to an ordinary therapist from a clinic, then with a high probability he will ban any sport altogether. I recommend that you definitely check your heart function - take an ECG, and then consult a sports doctor for advice and recommendations.

How quickly do results appear after classes?

Sometimes girls come and say that they want to lose weight in two weeks. To this I always answer that you need to drink a lot of water and eat normally. Boxing classes will certainly strengthen the muscle corset and give relief to the body. But nutrition is the basis of everything. The speed at which the coveted cubes appear is individual. The body changes structure: fat goes away, muscles come in. With active training, excess weight comes off. Boxing puts a lot of stress on your legs. This is very good for girls, as the risk of varicose veins and other unpleasant things in adulthood is reduced.

Does a person’s character change?

Of course, boxing strengthens character. I teach my students not to feel sorry for themselves and to do more even when they feel like they are at their limit. You can always see from a person whether he gave his best or not. In the gym you learn to overcome yourself, then you use it in life. And, of course, boxing develops self-attention and teaches you to be here and now.

Liliya Skovorodnikova, founder of Balletomania

“I am a professional ballerina and the owner of the Balletomania ballet school. I took up boxing out of interest: firstly, everyone around me started doing it, and secondly, in my dreams I always had the idea of ​​​​developing a training program combining boxing and ballet. Now the dream has come true. Boxing is very good as a cardio workout, plus it removes weight well, and the load is distributed across all muscle groups. It’s hard for many girls at first, especially those who are soft and modest by nature - it’s hard for them to immediately start furiously hitting the punching bag. But after a few lessons this barrier goes away. And, most importantly, thanks to boxing, some kind of inner strength and self-confidence appears.”

Maria Komandnaya, host of Match TV, editor-in-chief of The-Challenger.ru

“I was involved in cross-country skiing throughout my childhood, but at the age of 14-15 I told my parents that I couldn’t do it anymore - because I always, from childhood, dreamed of being a journalist. I gave up skiing, but I didn’t stop playing sports. I went to aerobics and the gym a lot. But now, of course, I understand that this was baby talk - now I’m telling everyone that I returned to big-time sports last year, just when the Rocky Road Gym started. The hardest thing was to reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed - this was one of the most important requirements of my coach. Since then, I have not advised anyone to go on a protein diet and I think that it is still evil. As a journalist and TV presenter, I need to think a lot and quickly, and when you eat only proteins, you have very little energy. As for the training itself, I simply became happier - the amount of endorphins in my body was steadily going off scale, I left (and still am leaving) the training with a smile, sparkling eyes and the feeling that I can move mountains. Today's workout is your tomorrow's body. Always when I'm too lazy to go to work out, I think that after training I will feel much better than before. I like the feeling when your muscles are toned, when your body is toned, when you like your reflection in the mirror. This is all that sport gives you - and nothing more.”

Natalya Davtyan

Rocky Road Gym personal trainer Georgy Maltabar (a former professional boxer, now involved in functional training of several Russian boxers) tells why boxing is almost an ideal sport, who can do it and what is needed for it.

Boxing is cardio with elements of functional training. It develops coordination, speed, endurance, reaction, sense of self in space, the vestibular system and, to some extent, strength. This type of load trains the abs, shoulders, back, arms, legs - in general, all muscle groups. The cardiovascular, respiratory and neuromuscular systems are trained. Boxing is truly beneficial and effective for your health and body.

At first glance, boxing seems to be a traumatic sport. This is not true, especially when it comes to amateurs. If a person practices boxing for himself, the likelihood of getting injured is close to zero. If you get injured in boxing, it is only in sparring - an unexpected blow may “arrive”. But under the supervision of a qualified trainer, the chances of this are low. Even in professional boxing, serious sprains and fractures occur extremely rarely. But nevertheless, you need to take precautions - use a mouth guard, wear a helmet, gloves, and wrap elastic bandages on your hands.

If a person does not plan to get into sparring, he will first need only bandages, then gloves. To select them, it is better to contact a trainer. If this is not possible, follow simple recommendations: the fist in the gloves should be easy to clench, and your hands should feel comfortable in them. Also keep in mind the weight of the gloves - the training version usually weighs 14-16 ounces (this is the measurement used here). Any clothes for classes are suitable, sneakers too, but if you wish, you can buy boxers.

Both girls and boys can practice boxing. Lately it has been especially popular among the former. The difference in the training process is small - the guys have a more intense load, and they also have the prospect of participating in competitions and gaining experience in sparring. Girls most often come with other goals: to lose weight, burn fat, tighten their body, relieve stress, improve their health. And with the help of boxing, all this can be achieved. But it’s impossible to gain weight with boxing - after all, it’s a cardio exercise.

In the post-Soviet period, boxing was practiced from the age of 10-12. Now this threshold has dropped - children 6-8 years old come. It makes no sense to sign up for boxing earlier. But there is no upper limit - even an elderly person can start boxing. The main thing is that he does not have serious health restrictions or complaints about his health. Overweight people can also go to boxing, but they need to constantly monitor their condition and pulse. People who have hernias, problems with joints, knees should also be especially careful - during boxing there is a load on the knee joints, it is necessary to twist in the spine. In all these cases, it is better to train with a trainer - he will control the intensity of the load and monitor the condition of the trainee.