Today we’ll discuss the 10 health benefits of martial arts. Martial arts can help you defend yourself on the streets, but it also has a lot of health benefits as well. So let’s get into it!
Does watching a martial arts movie thrill and relax you? The hand-to-hand combat, sharp reflexes, and smooth movements can be intense and exciting. Did you know it offers so many other benefits besides the thrill of martial arts?
Mixed Martial art is a combat method that suspends logical and analytical functions of the mind and the body, which allows them to interact instantaneously as a unit. In this article, we will discuss ten benefits of this interaction.
15 Celebrities Who Train In Martial Arts
10 Health Benefits of Martial Arts
Trainees benefit physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually from mixed martial arts. Through systematic martial arts practice, trainees can improve their physical fitness (strength, stamina, flexibility, speed, movement and coordination). In addition to physical fitness, martial art training contributes to mental health, self-esteem, self-control, and spiritual and emotional wellbeing.
Martial arts keep participants mentally and physically active and instill a sense of ethical achievement during the program. The following are ten martial art benefits regarding health, mind, and health and wellness.
Below are the 10 health benefits to martial arts and keep in mind this is the first post of a two part series. Part two will be released as soon as next week.
Physical Benefits of Martial Arts
1. Muscle Gain and Weight Loss
When you train martial art consistently, you can transform your body completely. Martial arts involve high-intensity workouts and repeated muscular actions that build strength and burn fat quickly. Calorie burning leads to rapid fat and weight loss.
Also, trainees can gain muscle mass and become more toned. Punching and kicking require a lot of strength, requiring your arms, legs, and core muscles to work hard. By increasing your muscle mass and tone, you can boost your metabolism, which can lead to weight loss. Even while resting, your body burns more calories.
Why Do MMA Fighters Have Cauliflower Ears
2. Cardiovascular Health
Studies have shown that martial arts practitioners have lower heart rates and blood pressures. A 2018 research shows that 16 weeks of martial arts training drastically lowers cardiovascular disease risk. Studies also show HIIT (high-intensity workouts) improves cardiovascular health.
In HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts, the more effort you put in, the greater the demand for oxygen. This results in expanded blood vessels and improved circulation, leading to better cardiovascular health. There are some doctors who recommend mixed martial arts training for specific diseases and conditions, like cardio kickboxing and HIIT training that avoids sparring.
Top 10 Deadliest Jiu Jitsu Submissions
3. Flexibility, Balance, Agility
Martial arts require a specific dose of flexibility. It depends on the individual; some will need more, while others will need less. Regardless of your choice of martial art, your flexibility will improve. In addition to stretching to avoid injuries, martial arts movements will boost your flexibility.
The more challenging your techniques become, such as strikes, high kicks, or ground attacks, the more flexibility you will need. By being flexible, it will be easier to avoid attacks, and takedown attempts more effectively.
Balance:
Many people found that martial art can improve balance as well. Trainees learn to use their bodies in a whole new way, improving their overall balance, stability, and coordination. Whether you are executing moves or blocking or avoiding attacks, stability and awareness are essential.
Agility:
The martial arts will quickly increase your agility, mobility, and quickness. With practice, your muscles can develop fast-twitch fibers, resulting in explosive power and quick bursts of energy, such as striking, evading, and lateral movement. As you become more adept at handling higher speeds, so will your reflexes. Your reflexes improve as you become more accustomed to combative and other stressful situations.
Mental Health Benefits of Martial Arts
4. Stress Relief
Combat sports can significantly decrease your stress levels. Rather than keeping it inside, you can release it by exercising, punching a bag, exercising, or simply relaxing. A 2019 study suggests that martial arts can reduce anxiety, stress, and tension. Also, a martial art like Tai Chi or Karate emphasizes calmness and meditation, two excellent ways to relieve stress.
Why Is MMA Not In The Olympics
5. Boost Self Confidence and Self-Esteem
If you lack confidence or self-esteem, martial arts can help. Martial arts training will give you new skills that will help you defend yourself. Additionally, you will lose weight and gain muscles, which will help you improve your posture and appearance. Having a positive impression of yourself is a great confidence booster.
Martial arts is known to boost your confidence because it teaches how to have a tough mentality and that builds resilience within you. This resilience can help you overcome tough challenges that you may face in life. Another way martial arts boosts your confidence and self-esteem is its belt rewarding system. When you achieve a higher rank belt than your current one, you feel a sense of accomplishment.
This sense of accomplishment and congratulations from your instructor and fellow practitioners, will lift your confidence and have you walking around proud of yourself. This is how everyone should feel in life, confident and proud of their accomplishments.
Belt Grading System In Kickboxing
6. Improve Focus, Memory and Peace of Mind
Martial arts can improve one’s ability to concentrate. Even in stressful situations, you will learn how to stay focused. One reason martial arts will help you develop focus is their training methods. This includes mastering a single, repetitive task until it becomes second nature and combining them seamlessly while anticipating your opponent’s every move.
Improve Memory:
Martial arts also enhance your memory. With each repetition of an exercise, your pathways and neural synapses will become stronger. So using your memory will be the key to successfully combining the elements. Muscle memory will also improve as a result. By repeating certain techniques and moves, you will become more proficient and faster at doing them.
Offers Peace and Calm:
Outside spectators often perceive martial art as aggressive or violent. However, most martial art require peace, calm, focus, and compassion instead. For instance, peace of mind is the goal of karate, which explains why spirituality and meditation are so important. The goal is to hinder your opponent quickly without being aggressive. It is better to avoid conflict if you can. Keeping calm in difficult circumstances can prevent many conflicts.
The Social Benefits of Martial Arts
9. Building Character, Social Skills
Martial arts is a great way to build character quickly. Your self-confidence will grow, which will allow you to express yourself more freely. Socializing and interacting with others is easier when you have a strong character or personality. Making friends can be challenging if you are a newcomer to an area and dislike going to bars or clubs.
But when you begin martial art training, you will likely meet people who share your interests, and martial arts can serve as a conversation starter. The great thing about martial art training is that you always know that you’re among people with similar interests since you share a martial art gym. You can improve your social skills by learning how to work and communicate with others.
10. Protect Yourself On The Streets
Lastly, martial arts help you increase your awareness and the mental presence you have when in social situations. Martial arts training teaches you to pay attention to your surroundings at all times. Eventually, you will be able to apply it to other parts of your life, such as social gatherings and family life. Knowing that you are capable of taking care of yourself when needed will enhance your self-confidence, while also allowing you to be relaxed around others.
As said earlier martial arts can reduce your social anxiety and help with certain mental and physical ineptness you may have. the objective is to get into a martial arts that provide an encouraging environment for you to train in. This will aid you on your journey to experiencing the martial arts benefits it can provide.
Conclusion
Now you know the 10 health benefits of martial arts. Get started by putting yourself on a new performance level today. In no time, martial arts will benefit you physically, mentally, and socially. These ten martial art benefits can help with your over health and wellness.
Sponsor: Innercity MMA