We’re constantly being told that in order to live a healthier, happier, and more productive life, that as well as eating healthy foods low in unhealthy fats, we should also become more active and get more physical exercise. Whilst exercising and working out regularly is indeed extremely beneficial, the problem for many is that they simply do not enjoy doing what it is that they’re doing. If you hate running for example, going out for a jog several times a week is probably not your idea of fun and it will certainly not be something that you look forward to with eager anticipation. Finding something that we enjoy is the key to becoming successful, and that principle can applied to numerous other aspects in life as well, not just health and fitness. If you have an interest in martial arts for example, instead of just talking about how you wouldn’t mind trying it one day, why don’t you actually head down to your local DOJO, join a class, and begin bettering yourself and your life in general? Here’s a look at seven great benefits associated with learning martial arts.
It teaches self discipline
We all wish we could be a little more disciplined, as self discipline is what would prevent us from eating an entire pizza and a tub of ice cream and then feeling sick afterwards. Self discipline would help us to put down the TV remote and get some much needed exercise instead, so naturally learning self discipline will be a fantastic tool to have at our disposal. One of the main benefits associated with martial arts, is the fact that it is a sport very much about discipline and self-control, and so it is ideal for teaching both of these things. Martial arts will teach you how to keep your composure and not lose your cool, which in turn will benefit your life in numerous other ways as well.
It’s a great way of losing weight and staying in shape
This is an especially impressive benefit associated with martial arts, and that is the fact that it has proven to be a fantastic way of losing weight and staying fit and healthy as a result. The average 60 minute cardio session on a treadmill will burn around 500 – 600 calories in general. With a 60 minute martial arts class, you have the potential of burning around 800 – 900 calories on average, possibly even 1000, and that’s just in one hour. Of course the classes are intense, but if you thrive in these conditions and environments, you will quickly find yourself burning fat and getting much fitter and healthier as a result.
It’s a great way of socialising
Another great benefit of learning martial arts is that attending the classes is a great way of socialising, meeting likeminded individuals similar to yourself, with similar interests, and possibly even making new friends or maybe even meeting future romantic partners. Martial arts are extremely popular, so you can guarantee that when you join a new class you will meet a whole variety of different individuals, many of whom you will probably hit it off with instantly.
It’s fun
Life is too short to constantly fret about doing things we don’t enjoy doing, and if possible, if we can find a pastime that not only improves our health and quality of life, but also happens to be one that we happen to enjoy, we should do all we can to make this pastime a regular part of our lives. Learning martial arts is testing, it’s physically demanding, but it’s extremely rewarding and is a whole lot of fun in the process. You’ll eagerly look forward to attending each class, rather than dread it, spending your time constantly checking the time and waiting for it to end. If you have fun, you work harder, and as they say, “you get out of it, what you put in” so the harder you work, the more rewards you will reap.
You learn practical skills
Although hopefully you’ll never actually have to use your skills outside of one of your classes or a tournament, learning basic self-defence skills is still extremely beneficial as you never know what life may throw at you. You’ll almost certainly not have to use your skills in the real world, but it’s much better to be prepared just to be on the safe side. Your self defence skills may one day prove useful for defending yourself or somebody else, which is another reason why learning martial arts is so beneficial.
Your self confidence will improve
The more you do it, the better you’ll get and as you begin to get better, you’ll find your self esteem and self confidence levels growing day by day. When you start out you’ll be a novice, you’ll know very little about martial arts and what is involved. As time goes by however, you’ll lose fat, you’ll tone up, you’ll get fitter and healthier, and you’ll improve at what it is that you’re doing. As you look and get better, your self esteem and self confidence levels will grow, which again will improve your quality of life in so many different ways. When you achieve your very first graded belt, it will be one of the proudest moments of your life, and no matter how much you progress, that first belt will still stick in your mind as one of the proudest moments of your entire life.
It’s a great stress buster
Life can be pretty stressful from time to time, and some of us can find ourselves feeling far more stressed than others. Martial arts is a fantastic way of releasing pent-up stress and anger in a violent yet highly controlled manner. Think about it, what better way to relieve your stress levels than kicking and punching a set of pads, or punch bag, with everything that you’ve got? Sometimes we need a little controlled violence in our lives as it can be productive, and releasing it in this manner, with trained professionals and top of the range safety equipment, is a great way of doing just that.
