If your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight, but you need something more exciting than jogging on a treadmill to keep you motivated, maybe you should consider a martial art like boxing, kickboxing, karate or judo. .
In this article we’ve listed the top 10 reasons to consider martial arts for fitness and weight loss, to help you decide if it’s right for you.
1. Martial arts for weight loss
It’s no coincidence that gyms, personal trainers, and producers of exercise videos and DVDs are now incorporating a variety of martial arts training techniques and exercises into their workouts.
Boxercise, Tae Bo, Cardio-Kickboxing, Kung Fu Aerobics, and personal trainers use punching bags, focus mitts, and kicking pads in their sessions are just a few examples of how martial arts training blends into cardio workouts for fitness and weight loss. is being used. ,
Because martial arts training is generally high-intensity and usually lasts at least an hour in most cases, it burns the maximum number of kilojoules or calories per workout and is therefore great for anyone looking to lose weight. want to do and want to reduce it fast.
2. Doing martial arts for fitness
Most martial arts involve exercises and drills that improve cardiovascular fitness and endurance, help build muscle strength and improve muscle flexibility, so they are ideal for anyone looking to improve their overall fitness. are perfect for.
Improving cardiovascular fitness requires us to regularly elevate our heart rate for extended periods of time and most martial arts training can help us do this.
To improve the strength, size and shape of our muscles we need to subject them to some form of resistance training on a regular basis. Martial arts training helps provide this training by requiring us to perform exercises such as push-ups and squats, using our own body weight for resistance.
Improved flexibility is a natural byproduct of martial arts training because most, if not all, styles of martial arts include stretching exercises in their workouts.
As a result of providing all these fitness benefits, martial artists such as boxers and kickboxers are widely considered to be among the fittest athletes in the world and practitioners of karate, judo, etc. are considered to be the strongest pound-for-pound and most flexible. Is. athlete in the world.
3. Martial arts and self defense
One of the most obvious benefits of doing martial arts is that it provides us with the fitness, strength, skill and technique we need to defend ourselves against being attacked by others when the need arises.
Like an insurance policy, we hope you’ll never be in a position to use your martial arts training to defend yourself, but it’s great to know you have this ability just in case.
Because they are primarily concerned with raising our heart rate to burn energy and improve our fitness, many of the workouts listed above such as Tae Bo, BoxerSize, etc. do not actually provide as much benefit as a dedicated martial artist. Art training. Teacher at a martial arts school that provides only one service – to teach you a specific martial art.
Many people mistakenly believe that because they punch the Focus Mitt 50 times during one session with their personal trainer, they know how to punch properly and can therefore defend themselves if need be . This is a huge mistake and we hope that these people never find themselves in a situation where this trust is tested.
Unless they’ve had many years of martial arts training, most personal trainers and gym instructors won’t be able to advise you on your punching and kicking technique, they’re really just going to have you focus on holding mitts or kick-pads. are eligible to do. You punch or kick them.
Remember, although they are probably great at what they do, these instructors are more like aerobics instructors than specially qualified martial arts instructors.
4. Martial arts and confidence
In addition to giving us the ability to defend ourselves, one of the biggest personal benefits martial arts training can provide is a higher level of self-confidence.
This confidence stems partly from the knowledge that we are better equipped to defend ourselves, given that we have had some martial arts training, but it also comes from a sense of accomplishment when we Techniques taught and begin to master new techniques. Confidence that results in feeling fitter and stronger and looking fitter and stronger.
Given that one of the first things to suffer, and one of the hardest things to reestablish afterward, when we become overweight is our self-confidence, this benefit is especially important for those of us Matters those who have weight problems.
5. Performing martial arts to improve body balance and coordination
As well as helping us to become fitter and stronger, martial arts training usually involves the mastery of a number of techniques that require us to be well balanced and have better body co-ordination.
In learning to master these techniques we naturally improve our balance and our coordination which helps us in other aspects of our daily lives.
6. Doing martial arts for variety
Martial arts training offers great variety in two ways.
First, martial arts training sessions consist of warm-up and cool-down, stretching exercises, strength building exercises, cardio exercises, and a variety of exercises designed to improve and teach us techniques.
This variety is very good for our mind as well as our body.
Second, there is such a wide variety of martial arts to study that we should be able to easily find one that suits our particular goals and interests.
Whether we prefer to practice a martial art that is primarily striking or grappling techniques or a perfect mix of both, or we want to study a highly technical or very simple style, the choice is great.
7. Performing martial arts teaches discipline and provides motivation
Everyone knows that learning martial arts requires discipline and it does teach.
Because it is also goal oriented, training in one of the many martial arts also provides a great deal of motivation.
Discipline and lack of motivation are the most cited reasons for weight loss failures and for this reason, doing martial arts for weight loss and fitness can help many of us who do not have the strength to overcome these. Lack of discipline and motivation needed to achieve weight loss goals. Common barriers to success.
8. Doing martial arts for spirituality
One definition of spirituality is “activities that renew, uplift, comfort, heal, and inspire both ourselves and those with whom we interact.”
Martial arts training has been practiced by millions of people over many centuries because, among other things, it has a great ability to uplift us spiritually.
As well as creating a better connection between our mind and body, it also has the potential to create a better connection between us and our world and between us and others.
9. Martial arts training is relatively cheap
Compared to joining some gym and hiring some personal trainers, training at a martial arts school or dojo is relatively inexpensive.
Many martial arts schools charge a very nominal monthly fee for training and the beauty of it is that you can train when and as often as it suits you.
In addition to low ongoing training costs, purchasing a uniform and any equipment you may need to train in most cases will also be relatively inexpensive.
10. There is a social aspect to martial arts
Many people who begin martial arts training for weight loss, improved fitness or self-defense enjoy it most for the social aspects of it.
As well as training and learning with others with similar goals, many martial arts trainees help encourage and motivate each other and end up becoming great friends.
Many martial arts instructors are also very friendly and foster a fun and friendly environment in which to train which endears them to their students who usually become close friends as well.
conclusion
If your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight, but you need something more exciting than jogging on a treadmill to keep you motivated, maybe you should consider a martial art like boxing, kickboxing, karate or judo. .
In this article we’ve listed the top 10 reasons to consider martial arts for fitness and weight loss, to help you decide if it’s right for you.
Source by Scott Haywood
