Martial arts classes are fun and challenging. Students of all ages come together to master new skills and techniques, earn belts, and share a unique experience.
Best of all, studying the martial arts has many documented health benefits that can improve your body and mind. Here are 10 health benefits of martial arts you should know about.
#1: Strength
Martial arts classes improve muscle tone because students spend time executing kicks and punches. By using their own body weight as resistance, martial artists tone their core muscles as well as muscles in the arms, legs, buttocks, and upper body. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, so increasing your lean muscle can aid with weight loss, too.
#2: Flexibility
One of the most important physical benefits of martial arts training is that it improves flexibility. When a martial artist hits the mat, they use every major joint. The joints stay lubricated and healthy, which improves flexibility and minimizes the risk of injury.
#3: Weight Loss
A martial arts workout incorporates aerobic exercise with muscle toning. As a result, it burns calories. People who want to lose weight often choose the physical challenge of a martial arts class to create a calorie deficit and drop unwanted weight.
#4: Cardiovascular Health
Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. That means that keeping your heart healthy, as well as the vascular system that transports blood to and from the heart, is essential for a long life. The practice of martial arts keeps the heart working by providing regular exercise.
#5: Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can be a risk factor for serious things such as heart attacks and strokes. One of the best ways to reduce your blood pressure is to exercise regularly. Martial arts classes provide the type of workout that improves cardiovascular fitness and may also lower blood pressure.
#6: Reflexes
Our reflexes are what help us get out of the way of danger or to catch ourselves if we trip. Healthy reflexes keep us safe. One of the biggest health benefits of martial arts training is that it improves balance and reflexes, making it easier for martial artists to react to situations as they arise.
#7: Mobility
As we age, it is normal to lose some mobility. However, the techniques that students learn in martial arts class help to maintain mobility. Regular exercise that works the joints and muscles can help to minimize mobility loss later in life.
#8: Focus
Not every health benefit of practicing martial arts is related to physical health. Some are related to mental and emotional health. Because every martial art emphasizes the need for strong focus and a mind-body connection, students in our martial arts classes often find that their focus in school or at work improves dramatically as a result of studying the martial arts.
#9: Mental Health
Mental health and physical health are inextricably linked. One of the biggest benefits of regular physical activity is that mental health improves. That may be in part because exercise prompts the body to release feel-good hormones called endorphins. It may also be because a martial arts workout boosts self-esteem and when we feel good, our mental health improves.
#10: Energy
It might seem strange, but expending energy makes you more energetic. The human body responds well to the discipline of regular exercise. Martial arts classes require students to expend a tremendous amount of energy as they practice new skills. It’s likely that you’ll feel more energetic once you begin to practice the martial arts.
These 10 health benefits of the martial arts can help your body feel and look its best. Whether you enroll in a martial art class for self-defense or to lose weight, you’ll find that the physical benefits can have a positive effect on every aspect of your life.