The Fitness Alternative: Choosing Martial Arts for Your Exercise Routine

You paid good money to join a health club and what did you get in return? Having to put your name on a sign-in sheet just to use the cardio machines, televisions blasting, cleaning up sweat off of some piece of equipment because the person who previously used it didn’t have the courtesy to wipe it down. A singles club atmosphere complete with uninvited attention, waiting to use the free weights because some clown is spending way too much time primping in front of the mirror? This is hardly a refuge for most busy men and women looking to get fit!

Have you ever considered the martial arts alternative? Many adults are disgusted with the run-of-the-mill fitness centers and have looked to the martial arts as a way to get into shape. Martial art training can provide you with all the benefits of physical exercise without the circus-type atmosphere of the average health club.

The traditional martial arts curriculum is designed to develop your overall fitness level. Classes always include some flexibility training in the form of stretching exercises. The various movements and techniques that you practice during class help develop your cardiovascular health, as well as stamina and focus. The modern martial arts instructor welcomes students who are looking for a fitness alternative and has gone out of his or her way to incorporate strength training either with lightweights and/ or resistance exercises.

A martial arts workout has more benefits to offer then a gym workout. In the gym your pretty much limited to working on strength and endurance (cardio). In a martial arts workout you get not only strength and endurance, you also receive flexibility, balance, coordination, body unity, alignment, hand eye coordination. Plus your body can get used to a gym workout very quickly, which means our progress will level off. Martial arts constantly makes your body guess what’s next which will keep it moving towards higher levels of fitness,

When you go to a gym, you may get a few sessions with a personal trainer as part of your membership package. Once that’s finished, you’re basically on your own unless you want to pay for more sessions. What’s nice about martial art training is that as you advance through the curriculum through some type of belt or sash grading system, more is expected of you physically. By following the curriculum laid out by your instructor, you progress to higher levels of fitness. In the meantime, you are learning to defend yourself!

Martial arts classes are also fun! Working through the various levels in the style you have chosen is both challenging and exciting. You’ll have a sense of pride and accomplishment that you’ll never get jogging aimlessly on some treadmill!