There's more to hitting the heavy bag than getting a good workout in, or becoming more fit. The benefits of learning how to REALLY strike, with any and everything you have, go far and beyond the bag, the class, or the gym. Like most things that are worth pursuing, the value and the rewards are hidden, and in order to realize them, you have to let go & emerge yourself in learning & being absorbed by the movements, the skills...the art. In order to make real progress in an artistic skill or sport, you need FOCUS. If you don't have it you can develop it with practice, but you will never truly excel without it. Acquiring the ability to FOCUS, and channel your efforts really improves skills you're trying to develop. As you develop skills, you develop confidence, as you develop confidence you become empowered, and when you're empowered you're ready to take on anything. The real hidden benefit I'm talking about here is when you take this process of developing focus, confidence, and empowerment, and apply it to your everyday life. This transfer of learning brings a famous quote from Chuck Palahniuk and the movie "Fight Club" to mind:

"No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide."

Learning to focus teaches you how to turn the volume down on things that don't matter, or that don't have anything to do with the outcome you want to see...the goals you really have. We all want to do remarkable things, and lead remarkable lives. No one wants to spend their day engaged in mundane productivity in pursuit of a meaningless consumer existence. Certainly not you, right? Consider letting go of distractions, learning a valuable skill with a worthwhile process...a process that will transfer into your day to day life.