Fencing is good exercise. The Compendium of Physical Activities, the reference table researchers use to rate how hard activities are, puts general fencing at 6.0 METs, and the federal Physical Activity Guidelines call anything from 6.0 METs up vigorous activity. A sabre class is short bursts of fast footwork and lunges with pauses between them, so it works the legs hard and gets you out of breath. It is not a weight-loss program, and we will not promise you a body. For an adult who wants a workout that feels like a game, it is a good one.
What a MET is
A MET is a way of saying how hard an activity is, compared with sitting still. One MET is the energy you use at rest; an activity of 6 METs uses about six times as much. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans count 3.0 to 5.9 METs as moderate-intensity activity and 6.0 or more as vigorous.
| Activity | METs |
|---|---|
| Golf, general | 4.5 |
| Fencing, general | 6.0 |
| Soccer, casual | 7.0 |
| Tennis, singles | 8.0 |
| Fencing, épée, competitive | 9.8 |
Source: the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, sports section (pacompendium.com, read 2026-10-22). The table has no separate line for sabre.
These figures are averages for the activity, not a measurement of you. A beginner who stops often will work less hard than the number; an experienced fencer in a hard bout, more.
What a sabre class asks of the body
Legs. Fencing footwork is a lot of short steps forward and back, sudden changes of direction, and lunges, the basic attack in which the fencer pushes off the back leg and lands on the front one. Your thighs will know about it after the first class.
Heart and lungs. Sabre is fast: many of its actions last well under a second, then the referee or coach calls "Halt" and both fencers reset. That stop-start rhythm is closer to interval training than to a steady jog.
Reaction and coordination. The blade arm, the feet and the eyes work together, against a partner who is changing the distance all the time.
Head. You cannot switch off in a bout. Timing and reading the partner count as much as speed.
How much of a week is one class?
The federal guidelines advise adults to get 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a mix, plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days (CDC, adult activity guidelines, page dated December 20, 2023). Our adult class lasts 75 minutes, on Wednesdays from 8:00 to 9:15 PM. A class is not 75 minutes of non-stop fencing, though: it includes the warm-up, drills, pauses and waiting your turn. Count it as one good part of your week, not all of it.
Will fencing help me lose weight?
We will not promise that. Any regular activity uses energy, and fencing uses more than many, but weight depends on much more than one class a week. If weight loss is your goal, talk to your doctor. What fencing does reliably is give you a reason to come back every week, and that matters for any exercise.
What if I am not fit?
You do not need to be fit to start. Beginners start with footwork and the basic actions, slowly at first, and the Wednesday class takes beginners. Tell the coach about any injuries or health conditions before you start, and bring water. Is fencing safe? has a section on the knees, from what research says about fencing injuries.
The adult class
- When: Wednesday, 8:00 to 9:15 PM.
- Who: adults aged 19 and over; an 18-year-old trains in the teen group.
- Price: $120 a month for adult beginners, plus the $500 annual membership every member pays.
- Kit: lent free for the first class and the whole first month, then $40 a month to rent, or your own.
- The first class is free. Bring sneakers, athletic clothes, a towel and a water bottle.
Starting fencing as an adult covers the rest: what if you fenced before, and fencing with your child. If you are comparing sports, fencing vs tennis, soccer and chess puts them side by side.
Call Coach Pasha at (408) 592-1244. If he is on the strip, leave a voicemail: he calls back within 24 hours. Or leave your number and he calls you.
Where these figures come from
- Herrmann SD and others, "2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities", tables at pacompendium.com/sports: codes 15200 (fencing, general), 15203 (fencing, épée, competitive), 15255 (golf, general), 15610 (soccer, casual) and 15690 (tennis, singles). Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024, 13(1), pages 6 to 12.
- US Department of Health and Human Services, Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, 2018: definitions of moderate and vigorous intensity.
- CDC, Adult activity: an overview, December 20, 2023.
All read on October 22, 2026.
