| If your goal is to improve your fitness or | | | | that we have done some martial arts training, |
| lose weight but you need to do something more | | | | but it also comes from a sense of achievement |
| exciting than jogging on a treadmill to keep | | | | once we begin to master the techniques taught |
| you motivated, perhaps you should consider | | | | to us and the new confidence that results |
| doing a martial art like boxing, kickboxing, | | | | from feeling fitter and stronger and looking |
| karate, or judo.In this article we list the | | | | fitter and stronger.Given that one of the |
| top 10 reasons to consider doing a martial | | | | first things to suffer, and one of the |
| art for fitness and weight loss to help you | | | | hardest things to reestablish afterwards, |
| decide if doing one is right for you.1. Doing | | | | when we become overweight is our |
| martial arts for weight lossIt's no | | | | self-confidence this benefit is of particular |
| coincidence that gyms, personal trainers and | | | | value to those of us who have a weight |
| producers of exercise videos and DVD's are | | | | problem.5. Doing martial arts to improve body |
| now heavily incorporating training techniques | | | | balance and coordinationAs well as helping us |
| and exercises from a wide variety of martial | | | | to become fitter and stronger, martial art |
| arts in their workouts.Boxercise, Tae Bo, | | | | training typically involves the mastery of a |
| Cardio-Kickboxing, Kung Fu Aerobics, and | | | | range of techniques that requires us to be |
| personal trainers using punching bags, focus | | | | well-balanced and have superior body |
| mitts and kicking pads in their sessions are | | | | coordination.In learning to master these |
| just a couple of examples of how martial arts | | | | techniques we naturally improve our balance |
| training is being used in cardio workouts for | | | | and our coordination which helps us with |
| fitness and weight loss.Because martial art | | | | other aspects of our daily life.6. Doing |
| training is typically high intensity and | | | | martial arts for variety Martial art training |
| usually lasts for at least an hour in most | | | | provides great variety in two ways.Firstly, |
| cases, it burns a maximum number of | | | | martial arts training sessions themselves |
| kilojoules or calories per workout and is | | | | have great variety built into them by |
| therefore great for anyone who wants to lose | | | | including warm-ups and cool-downs, stretching |
| weight and lose it fast.2. Doing martial arts | | | | exercises, strength building exercises, |
| for fitnessMost martial arts incorporate | | | | cardio exercises and exercises designed to |
| exercises and drills that improve | | | | improve and teach us a wide variety of |
| cardiovascular fitness and endurance, help | | | | techniques.This variety is great for our mind |
| build muscle strength and improve muscle | | | | as well as our body.Secondly, there are such |
| flexibility so they are perfect for anyone | | | | a wide variety of martial arts to study that |
| wanting to improve their overall | | | | we should be able to easily find one that |
| fitness.Cardiovascular fitness improvements | | | | suits our particular goals and |
| require us to regularly elevate our heart | | | | interests.Whether we prefer to do a martial |
| rate for extended periods and most martial | | | | art that primarily revolves around striking |
| arts training can help us do that.Improving | | | | or grappling techniques or a perfect mix of |
| the strength, size and shape of our muscles | | | | both, or we want to study a highly technical |
| requires us to regularly subject them to some | | | | or very simple style, the choice is great.7. |
| form of resistance training. Martial arts | | | | Doing martial arts teaches discipline and |
| training helps provide this training by | | | | provides motivationEverybody knows that |
| requiring us to perform exercises like | | | | studying a martial art requires and teaches |
| push-ups and squats using our own body weight | | | | discipline.Because it is also goal |
| for resistance.Improved flexibility is a | | | | orientated, training in one of the many |
| natural byproduct of martial arts training | | | | martial arts also provides a great deal of |
| because most, if not all styles of martial | | | | motivation.Lack of discipline and motivation |
| art incorporate stretching exercises in their | | | | are the most often quoted reasons for weight |
| workouts.As a result of providing all of | | | | loss failures and for this reason, doing a |
| these fitness benefits, martial artists like | | | | martial art for weight loss and fitness may |
| boxers and kickboxers are widely regarded as | | | | help many of us who lack the required |
| being among the fittest athletes in the world | | | | discipline and motivation to achieve our |
| and practitioners of karate, judo, etc are | | | | weight loss goals to overcome these common |
| considered among the strongest | | | | barriers to success.8. Doing martial arts for |
| pound-for-pound and most flexible athletes in | | | | spiritualityOne definition of spirituality is |
| the world.3. Doing martial arts and | | | | "Activities which renew, lift up, comfort, |
| self-defenseOne of the most obvious benefits | | | | heal and inspire both ourselves and those |
| of doing a martial art is that it provides us | | | | with whom we interact."Martial art training |
| with the fitness, strength, skill and | | | | has been practiced by millions of people over |
| techniques necessary to protect ourselves | | | | many centuries because among other things, it |
| from being attacked by others who are out to | | | | has a great ability to spiritually uplift |
| harm us if the need should ever arise.Like an | | | | us.As well as forging a better connection |
| insurance policy, we hope you're never in a | | | | between our mind and body, it also has the |
| position to have to use your martial arts | | | | ability to forge a better connection between |
| training to defend yourself, but it's great | | | | us and our world and us and others.9. Doing |
| to know this ability is there just in | | | | martial arts training is relatively |
| case.Because they are primarily concerned | | | | inexpensiveCompared to joining some gyms and |
| with elevating our heart rates to burn energy | | | | hiring some personal trainers, training at a |
| and improve our fitness, many of the workouts | | | | martial arts school or dojo is relatively |
| listed above like Tae Bo, Boxercise, etc | | | | inexpensive.Many martial arts schools charge |
| don't really provide this benefit to the same | | | | a very modest monthly fee for training and |
| extent as doing martial arts training with a | | | | the beauty of this is you can train when and |
| dedicated teacher in a martial arts school | | | | as often as it suits you.In addition to low |
| that only provides one service - to teach you | | | | ongoing training costs, buying a uniform and |
| a specific martial art.Many people mistakenly | | | | any equipment you may need to train in most |
| believe that because they punch a focus mitt | | | | cases will be relatively inexpensive as |
| 50 times during a session with their personal | | | | well.10. Doing martial arts has a social |
| trainer that they know how to punch properly | | | | aspectMany people who start doing martial |
| and can therefore defend themselves if they | | | | arts training for weight loss, improved |
| need to. This is a big mistake and we hope | | | | fitness or self-defense end up enjoying it |
| these people never find themselves in a | | | | most for its social aspects.As well as |
| situation where this belief is tested.Unless | | | | training and learning with others with |
| they've had many years of martial arts | | | | similar goals, many martial arts trainees |
| training themselves, most personal trainers | | | | help encourage and motivate each other and |
| and gym instructors will not be able to offer | | | | end up becoming very good friends.Many |
| advice about your punching and kicking | | | | martial arts instructors too have very |
| technique, they are only really qualified to | | | | friendly dispositions and foster a fun and |
| hold the focus mitts or kick-pad for you | | | | friendly environment in which to train which |
| while you punch or kick them.Remember, while | | | | endears them to their students who typically |
| probably great at what they do, these | | | | also become close friends.ConclusionIf your |
| trainers are more like aerobics instructors | | | | goal is to improve your fitness or lose |
| than specifically qualified martial arts | | | | weight but you need to do something more |
| instructors.4. Doing martial arts and | | | | exciting than jogging on a treadmill to keep |
| self-confidenceIn addition to providing us | | | | you motivated, perhaps you should consider |
| with the ability to defend ourselves, one of | | | | doing a martial art like boxing, kickboxing, |
| the greatest personal benefits that martial | | | | karate, or judo.In this article we listed the |
| art training provides is a high degree of | | | | top 10 reasons to consider doing a martial |
| self-confidence.This self-confidence partly | | | | art for fitness and weight loss to help you |
| results from the knowledge that we are much | | | | decide if doing one is right for you. |
| better equipped to defend ourselves given | | | | |