Kickboxing for Stress Relief: Why You Need It Now (Especially If You Want to Yell Into a Pillow)
- elva wu
- May 15
- 3 min read
Let’s be real: life is a whole circus sometimes — and not the cute kind with popcorn and acrobats. More like juggling 3 jobs, paying NYC rent, and answering emails at 2AM while your eye twitches.
I’ve been there. Actually, I basically lived there for a while.
The Stress You “Don’t Have Time For” — It’s Still There
Here in New York, everyone’s hustling. And it’s almost a badge of honor to be “too busy” for everything, including your own sanity. Stress doesn’t get dealt with — it just gets shoved into a closet labeled “I’ll get to it later.”
Spoiler alert: later never comes.You keep rushing. Your shoulders get tighter. Your fuse gets shorter. Your neck? Concrete. Your jaw? Clenched like you’re in a dentist commercial.
Sound familiar?
I Was a Walking Stress Ball With Legs
I once worked 50–60 hours a week, went to school full-time, and juggled an internship. I was basically powered by caffeine and spite. My body was screaming, but I told it to shush — because who has time to feel anything?
Then one day, after being yelled at by a restaurant manager, I was so furious I wanted to punch a wall. Instead, I wandered into a gym and punched a heavy bag. Poor bag didn’t know what hit it — neither did I.Was it cute? No.Was it coordinated? Also no.Did I feel better? Hell yes.
Why Punching Things (Safely) Actually Works
Here’s the science-y part — but don’t worry, I won’t turn into a robot:
When we’re stressed, our bodies hold onto it.Not in the “remembering a birthday” way, It's more like a “hey, let’s clench every muscle and pretend we’re fine” way.
Stress can live in:
Your neck and shoulders (hello, tension headaches)
Your back and hips (yes, your lower back is trying to file a complaint)
Your stomach (gut stress is a real thing)
Even your face (ever realized your jaw’s been clenched for 3 hours straight?)
When you don’t move, the stress just marinates in your muscles.But when you move? You literally shake it out of your body.
Movement — especially high-intensity, full-body movement like kickboxing — gives your stress an exit. A trap door. A fire escape.
Kickboxing Is My Therapy… But Cheaper and Sweatier
Let’s be clear ! I’m not saying kickboxing solves everything.But it did stop me from turning into a full-time rage monster.
There’s something primal and healing about throwing punches (safely!) and kicking with your whole being.I used to picture the bag as my toxic boss… or my ex… or capitalism.Every punch was me saying, “I’m still here.”
I didn’t need to be good at it.I just needed to show up and hit something until my body stopped screaming.
If You’re Struggling — You Don’t Need to Start Perfect
If you're struggling right now
let me say this:
You don’t need to know how to throw a perfect jab.You don’t need to “be fit.”You don’t even need to be okay.
You just need to show up.However you are. However you feel.Because movement doesn’t require perfection -just motion.
You might feel like you’re too tired, too overwhelmed, or too late. But you’re not.You still have the power to shift things. You’re allowed to take up space, release what’s weighing you down, and breathe a little deeper again.
The stress might not disappear overnight but every punch is a message to your body:“Hey, I’ve got you.”
You Set the Pace, I’ll Bring the Punches
If your schedule feels like a disaster movie and your calendar has zero chill -I get it.That’s exactly why I created my HIIT Kickboxing online program.
No commute. No pressure. No “wait until Monday.”You decide when to move, where to sweat, and how intense you want to go.
Can’t sleep at 11PM because your brain is doing that thing again? Hit play.Need to punch out your stress between Zoom calls? Let’s go.
You don’t need a gym. You don’t need fancy equipment.You just need a little space and the decision to hit start.
It’s fierce, freeing, and honestly, a little fun in that “I’m sweating but I feel kinda powerful” kind of way.
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