HOW KARATE CAN BOOST YOUR FITNESS
by Sensei Andy
Participating in a martial arts program is a great way to boost your fitness; Karate is no different. This form of martial art focuses on kicking moves using the legs.
But how does it boost fitness? Basically in four ways…
improves cardiovascular health
Most of the stand-up martial art programs, including Muay Thai, kickboxing and Krav Maga are cardio workouts to the nth degree. Because they raise your heart rate significantly, your heart and whole cardiovascular system gets stronger. And because you are also breathing harder, more oxygen is getting in your blood and to all the cells of your body, making them healthier. As your heart fitness improves, your blood pressure will get more toward the normal range and you’ll find your resting heart rate to be lower, meaning your heart doesn’t have to work as hard.
helps manage weight
Because Karate is such a great cardio training program, it tends to burn a lot of calories; a typical 150-pound person can burn on average 700 calories during a 1-hour session. However, calories expended do vary according to age, gender, body composition and the intensity of the workout, so the number your burn individually may be more or less. Keep in mind it only takes a 3,500 calorie deficit per week to lose a pound of weight. A couple sessions per week of KARATE can help reach your weight loss goal with healthy eating being the other half.
increases muscle tone
Practicing KARATE not only increases flexibility, balance, agility and coordination, but because its moves use every major lower body and abdominal core muscle group, also tones and strengthens up these muscles making you stronger.
improves mental health
So if this martial art form can help you lose weight (of which most will be body fat), and tones and strengthen muscle, wouldn’t you naturally feel happier? The answer is yes. When you look better, your self-esteem is higher and you are going to have a better overall feeling of yourself and a more positive outlook on life.
Not only does karate improve your mood, but it also relieves stress and increases your mental sharpness, adding to your improved mental health overall.
And if this is not enough, you’ll learn some moves which can help you protect yourself if you are ever attacked by an assailant. With knowing karate, you don’t have to be a completely helpless.
So if you are tired of doing the same thing over and over in your present fitness program, switch things up by replacing some of it with karate training.
