5 Top Health Benefits of practicing the Martial Arts

The Martial Arts have been studied and practiced by the young and old for centuries. It has been well documented the wonderful value they have on our Body, Mind and Spirit. Very few activities can have profound positive affects on all three areas. Here are the the top 5 benefits to training in a Martial Art.

Flexibility - You don’t have to be flexible to do the martial arts. However, once you start your training you will see just how much your flexibility improves. All martial artists know the importance of including stretching into the training. Martial Arts uses almost every part of the body which is why warming up all muscle groups is so important. Some classes spend time before and after the martial arts component of the class, working on flexibility exercises. When when our muscles are loose and not tense we can be light and quick in our movements.

Core Strength - There is no denying that core strength is a huge part of martial arts training. One of the foundations it teaches is to engage core muscles to harness strength within movements. By learning to train our bodies to engage our core strength, it helps with muscle tone, strengthens back and abdominal muscles, helps to create firm foundations in our stances and teaches us to use our total power behind movements. Learning to engage our core strength helps to improve posture, digestion, relieves many common body ailments and helps us to feel strong.

Cardiovascular Health- Anyone who has participated in just a 1 hour martial arts class knows what a terrific workout it is. There are many exercises and drills that help to improve our cardio strength. Running, jumping, sparring,are just a few examples of exercises that are performed in a martial arts class that help work the cardio system. From the time the class starts until the warm down, it is a whole body workout and you leave feeling great!

Strengthens your Mind- One the great benefits that martial arts gives us is the training of our mind. From training our memory for movements and patterns, to training our reaction time, to helping us to see the hidden movements of a kata- all train our mind. Sparring with a partner helps to teach us how to read people. Learning weapons and complicated sequencing help us to train our coordination and muscle memory. Another component that the martial arts have on strengthening the mind is the ability to teach us how to dig in deep and control our thoughts. The philosophy taught in classes also help us to strengthen our mind and thoughts.

Strengthens our emotional and spiritual well being- Martial Arts helps to improve our mood and emotional well being by relieving stress. As with any exercise, our stress level decreases when we do it. Martial Arts helps to get us to exercise in ways that can help relieve stress in our bodies. The different drills of punching, kicking, using equipment such as heavy bags, and focus gloves, sparring with opponents, partner self defence drills all have a positive impact on our mood. It gets us to release our stress and enjoy an environment of being around people who enjoy a common activity. Most Martial Arts classes start and finish their sessions with some form of meditation. This helps us to be comfortable with silence and helps to calm our thoughts, breath, bodies so that we can connect with our spiritual side.

These are only some of the top benefits training in the martial arts provide. Of course there are other benefits not mentioned. However one thing you can be guaranteed of is that if you commit to your training, you will reap these wonderful health benefits. The Martial Arts, like Yoga, have been practiced for many years and have been proven to only better the lives of the people who study them. Enjoy them and Train Hard!

Tracy Warrener has been fortunate to have been raised within the Martial Arts since the age of 4 years old and is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate. She has had the opportunity to study with some amazing Martial Artists. Sensei Richard Kim, Sensei Peter Urban, Professor Don Jacob, Sensei Jim Wilson, Professor Wally Jay, just to name several. Of course her main Sensei is her father, Sensei Don Warrener. Throughout the 40 plus years of her involvement in the Martial Arts, she has worked her way from being a student of the martial arts to a Martial Arts Sensei ,teaching hundreds of students. She has ran and managed martial arts schools teaching students of all ages, worked within the community teaching at fitness centres, schools, businesses and Women’s Shelters, the benefits of Karate. One the causes close to her heart is teaching and empowering young girls and women the importance of self defence and awareness. Her program called Look Strong! Act Strong! Be Strong! focuses on easy self defence techniques and mind self defence techniques. In 2013 she was awarded The Silver Lifetime Achievement Award in the Masters of the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in California for her contribution to Women in the Martial Arts. She is also a Certified Reflexologist and Reiki Master. She has starred in three of her own DVDs produced by Rising Sun Productions on Reiki, Reflexology and her Look Strong ,Act Strong ,Be Strong Self Defence Program. tracy.warrenerentertainment@gmail.com

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