How martial arts can make a difference in your life
We know what you the first thought most likely was when you read the above title, however, it is not what you might have expected.
Yes, martial arts does teach self-defense and awareness. Put in a difficult situation, most martial artist have a high probability of coming safely. But, it goes beyond just self-defense.
Based on a week’s worth of data, the average participant’s day consisted of 7.7 hours sleeping, 10.4 hours sitting, 3.1 hours standing, 1.5 hours doing light physical activity, and 1.3 hours doing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
That is a lot of sitting with little movement to help with blood flow and muscle elasticity.
ACSM, the American Council of Sports Medicine stats that adults should stretch at least 2-3 times per week. How many people do you think follow that recommendation?
We must go a little deeper, because most people have good intentions, but there can be many factors holding them back.
The two main ones related to stretching: “It is very uncomfortable when I stretch” or “I just am not sure what to do.” It is common that most Americans want to avoid anything that is uncomfortable. Isn’t that your brains main job besides running your body? The old school saying “No Pain, No Gain” is most likely dead to most people.
So why martial arts?
For starters, the movements natural increase flexibility over time, strengthen the muscles that are being stretched and help restore the mobility in your joints if you train smart.
Second, your flexibility training is masked by learning an actual skill. Stretching can be very boring for most and add discomfort, well the bad out-weighs the good for most people. Learn a fun skill, empower someone with new abilities and they tend to overlook that challenging parts because the endorphins rush is much more satisfying.
An additional benefit of martial arts
One more benefit that most probably did know about martial arts; it actually opens up more neural pathways in your brain. The movements require students to not only use both sides of their body, but also learn fine motor movements they have never practiced before. This is like candy for the brain and shoots dopamine to the neural pathways giving students a new feeling of euphoria and excitement.
If you have never considered pursuing martial arts, not only will your brain thank you, but your muscles, circulatory system and nerves will also thank you.