Health Benefits of Martial Arts

Physical activity is a key component to living a healthy, happy life. Research has shown that physical activity does wonders for many aspects of your health and wellbeing. Additionally, many people experience a boost in self-esteem and self-confidence, through improving their physique and by mastering new skills and techniques. Here are a few examples of how martial arts can benefit your health:

Total Body Workout and Cardiovascular Health

Most martial arts provide a balanced workout that focuses on both upper and lower body strength and agility. A balanced workout leads to a healthy, balanced body. The cardiovascular benefits of martial arts include improved heart health, reduced risk of many diseases, increased metabolism, maintaining a healthy weight and more. Because martial arts is about more than just fitness, people engaged in the discipline are more likely to regularly work towards their training.
  
Weight Loss and Muscle Tone

Physical activity burns calories and, paired with a healthy diet, can help you lose weight and gain muscle tone. A healthy weight is important in maintaining long-term health and a martial arts workout can help you do just that. Most martial arts classes focus on technique, hard training, and stretching: allowing you to have a complete approach to improving your health. With the number of martial arts and range of difficulty levels in the belt system and beyond, the discipline as a whole can be quite encouraging, when it comes to getting beginners who aren’t already in good shape involved.
   
Mental Health

PPhysical exercise has been proven to release endorphins that reduce the perception of pain, as well as producing a positive feeling in your body. “Regular exercise has been proven to reduce stress, ward off anxiety and feelings of depression, boost self-esteem, and improve sleep,” says WebMD. Additionally, exercise bumps up the amount of blood flow, leading to more energy and oxygen and better brain performance. Physical exercise also makes your brain’s white matter more fibrous and compact: something that contributes to a faster and more efficient brain. Read more about the brain benefits of exercise on Fast Company.

Balance and Stress

Recent research published in the Harvard Business Review shows that, with regular exercise, there’s a boost in work-life balance. Although the cause behind this one might not be well defined yet, it’s something to keep in mind and strive for. Being in one of your favorite classes, working side-by-side with your team and mastering new techniques has certainly brought balance into the lives of many of our members, along with reducing stress.

What are the biggest benefits you’ve received from your martial arts practice? How have you noticed the health of your students improve?

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