by Sage Kalmus

Created on: October 12, 2007

It's no surprise that the National Institute of Health has a Fencing Club. More than just a way to evoke the sense of adventure and romance of an Errol Flynn film, the sport of fencing offers an array of benefits to the long-term health of anyone who participates.

For starters, fencing is a perfect form of cardiovascular exercise, as it's a fast-paced activity that gets the heart pumping and oxygen flowing. Health experts advise all people to engage in some form of cardiovascular (or aerobic) exercise regularly in order to maintain optimum health and longevity. Fencing is a way to accomplish these aims in a fun and exciting way.

Among the benefits of all cardiovascular exercise, fencing included, are increased stamina, lower cholesterol, strengthened heart and lungs, increased immune function, and decreased risk of heart disease. Fencing also reduces stress, and in a safe and enjoyable manner.

As with all aerobic exercise, as well, fencing burns calories, helping participants to lose weight and maintain their ideal weight. Fencing also helps tone and define the body. These physical improvements inevitably lead to a boost in self-esteem, a fundamental attribute of mental and emotional health.

With its complex physical maneuvers, fencing also helps develop muscle strength, flexibility, and coordination. The positions and movements in fencing must be precise to be powerful. And in order to perfect that precision, the body must become flexible and strong. In fencing, as in a martial art, power and precision go hand in hand.

Also not unlike a martial art, fencing is a workout for the mind, requiring extreme mental discipline to perform properly and well. Research has shown that a mind regularly challenged is less prone to degenerative diseases of the brain.

The competitive aspect of fencing augments this sharpening of the minds as participants venture to out-think and outmaneuver one another in split-second decisions. As the body is moving, responding and reacting, the mind must always be thinking, and yet at the same time be meditatively still. In this way, fencing is also quite often compared with chess, in that the competitors must always be calm, clear-headed, and planning several moves in advance.

And fencing's benefits to mental and emotional well-being don't stop there. As alluded to earlier, learning, practicing, and perfecting fencing's intricate movements, and developing the strength, endurance, and discipline to execute those maneuvers well can't help but cultivate a healthy sense of confidence and self-worth in anyone who does it.

Lastly, fencing is a social activity, one that entails regular interaction with other like-minded people. Supportive and encouraging social interaction is an essential component of total health and wellness.

Fencing is a thorough and well-rounded form of physical and mental exercise with benefits that extend to every aspect of a healthy and happy life.

Learn more about this author, Sage Kalmus.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.