Sarah Liegmann – from the ring corner: Yoga as the perfect complement

Before I get started, I’m really glad you’re here to read my column. It’s going to be chaotic, funny, but mainly 100 percent real. I’ll be sharing lots of anecdotes and experiences from the world of boxing, but also giving you some exciting insights into my everyday madness. And now it’s time to clear the ring!

I’ve been back in the USA for two days now. A lot has changed since my last visit. My management has bought the gym where I used to train and opened a second location. In addition to the existing gym in Tunisia, there is now also one in Hollywood Beach, Florida.

The training schedule has also been revised. Yoga is now offered three times a week. This may sound unusual to many when they think of martial arts, but I used to enjoy doing it every now and then when I had time. At some point, I stopped doing it altogether. The opportunity to do it regularly again made me want to start again.

Yoga is much more than just stretching with relaxing music. It has many benefits, especially for martial artists. In addition to flexibility and mobility, the yoga flows also train balance and body control – a control that reaches deep into the muscles. The focus on conscious breathing helps to control the pulse and stress, and also trains mindfulness and inner calm. It is no coincidence that many top martial arts athletes practise yoga. Floyd Mayweather, Anthony Joshua and Conor McGregor – they all use yoga not just as a contrasting program, but as a complement.

“Exactly what we need!”

The yoga teacher we are now working with performs Vinyasa flows with us boxers. These are known for the persistent use of deep muscles and a natural flow of movement. You can tell how different it is to our usual training and how much it pushes even the best-trained guys to their limits. I also worked up quite a sweat, but luckily my body doesn’t forget, so I was able to keep up well. Nevertheless, the contrast to boxing training is exactly what we need. We can all learn a lot from yoga training, especially when it comes to balance, which is a great advantage for our movement sequences and techniques in boxing. Perhaps it is precisely this unaccustomed calmness in yoga that makes us even more precise, more controlled and ultimately more dangerous in the ring.