Going to the gym everyday to perform the same exercises everyday can be really monotonous. Humans are curious animals, and most of us stay interested in things that help us learn new ways to live. Some people find going to the gym similar to doing factory work; repetitive and mind numbingly boring. All of us get bored when we keep doing things that require absolutely no brain power. You are also probably one of those people, which explains why you are here.
So how to strengthen determination to lose weight, when going to the gym to lift the same weights sounds dreadful to you?
Practicing martial arts is an amazing way to keep your body fit. Training in any combat technique will give your whole body a great workout. It will not only boost your endurance but also help you decrease fats in your body. Oh and how can we ignore the fact that not only are you becoming fit, but you are also training your mind to become extremely aware of your surroundings and keep yourself safe in this dystopian age of violence and conflict everywhere. Martial arts make you more flexible and balanced, and bends your mind to study human movements and makes you tenacious enough to protect yourself in bad crises. Improved fitness levels may result from all of these advantages.
Finding a martial art that suits your needs and interests is crucial because of the sheer variety that’s available. While some emphasize on body grappling, others place more focus on striking down. So your first step would be to pick one that works with your schedule and way of life.
The fitness advantages of any martial arts programme differs from one another but you get highly intensive exercise with most of them. Some of these include Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and wrestling, which eliminate up to 1000 calories per hour even. On the other hand, you get less of a workout practicing less difficult martial arts like Karate.
For example, if you love martial arts but also want to build your body, creating a balance between bodybuilding and martial arts will require meticulous planning. It can be feasible to combine the two in a way you can reap the benefits of both, but one’s effectiveness will be more than that of the other. How? Well, bodybuilding wears you out much more than the latter and martial arts is a lot more energy demanding. So you need to decide which one matters more.
Through consistent posture, footwork, and punching, you can build speed, agility, a strong core, and an all-over shredded physique by practicing martial arts. 350 calories per hour should be burned by effective exercise.
Let’s look at some of the top martial art styles that can replace going to the gym for fitness and weight loss.
Karate
The physical advantages that karate offers are a big lure. Karate is a fantastic method to get in shape, but does it truly develop muscle mass? Everyone has heard tales of skilled karatekas who can carry heavy objects and break boards with their bare limbs. Is karate actually as physically strong as it seems to be? Unanimously, the response is affirmative.
Because it makes your body push really hard for a little period of time and then recover rapidly in breaks before repeating the process, HIIT is highly beneficial for growing muscle. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), which involves brief bursts of intensive exercise followed by intervals of rest or low-intensity exercise, is employed by karate. With proper rest time between sets, this enables your body to exert more effort than it would during a typical workout while still enabling your muscles to recuperate and become stronger. Hence, karate is a proven way to develop strength and muscles.
Karate focuses on full-body movements and building core strength in its attacking and defensive techniques. The reliance on core strength on core strength not only targets various body parts but also contributes to the development of your core power. You are likely to build significant muscular mass when practicing karate regularly, however how much depends on the style you use—some are more aerobic than others.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
This discipline, often known as BJJ, has a strong emphasis on grappling and ground combat. It challenges individuals to outperform their natural physical strength by becoming more flexible and agile.
That’s not to say it won’t make you stronger, because while you’re competing with someone else, you’ll be lifting your own weight. An hour of practicing this will burn off 700 calories.
Capoeira
This is an artistic form of Afro-Brazilian martial arts. Given that many of the movements involved are often seen as being dance-like, not everyone initially views it as a serious form of martial arts or thinks it will help them lose weight.
Once you however start doing it, you will realize why it is so unique. This odd and wonderful combination of cardio and strength training includes everything from headstands to spinning maneuvers. Initially you will feel terribly exhausted but you’ll start to feel better in no time. Your body will then start burning 600 calories after just an hour of this type of exercise daily.
Judo
Judo has been a popular martial art for as long as it has been around. By eliminating upto 750 calories per hour while training, your tenacity and resilience will improve the most. There is a lot of grappling, punching, and joint locking involved, so you tend to spend a lot of time crashing to the floor and rising back up again. You’ll work your muscles in ways you never could have imagined, and you could build even more new muscles in the process.
Krav Maga
Whatever your sentiments might be about Israel and the politics surrounding its control of Palestine, you must be aware that since times immemorial, the Jews have been under attack from external neighboring forces. Therefore, they developed a military-style self-defense that is extremely powerful. It involves speedy and violent hand-to-hand combat that is probably one of the explanations for how quickly they eliminate all their foes. Krav Maga will help you increase your speed, endurance, and muscle memory while burning 650 calories per hour on average.
Mixed Martial Arts
A personal favorite, you can consider MMA if you want to learn a little bit of everything. Because of its popularity, some centers around you should be available, even if you live in a quiet town. This art requires discipline and self-control and body movement study much more than all the others listed here.
You utilize the training alone to replace all of your different workout routines because it includes circuit training, strength training, and weight training. That will make your life easier, and doing this regularly will cause you to burn more than 500 calories each hour. You build muscle while losing enough weight to flaunt it.
Mix it Up
Other lesser known forms of martial arts like Muay Thai, taekwondo, Tai Chi, Wing Chun, and wrestling, will also give you the ideal mix of cardiovascular and strength training that you can replace gyms for. You can rely on any of these methods to build your strength and stamina at the same time. Each will enable you to increase the variety of your training regimen while burning hundreds of calories per hour, but in its own way. In return, you also gain mind sharpness and a sense of safety against predators, especially if you are a woman.
The rigorous nature of any martial arts technique makes it easy for you to reach your fitness goals. Martial arts is a fantastic all-in-one workout that you ought to explore, if you do not like going to the gym or working out those same 20 exercises everyday. This brings to mind, what are the medical/health benefits of undergoing such training? Let’s explore that too, shall we?
- Total body workout:
Martial arts usually target body muscles located in both the lower and upper body. It provides a full-body workout, depending on the intensity you go for. It all boils down to what your personal gal is.
Your muscles could also tone with a martial arts-inspired aerobic workout. Over time, you can benefit in the same way as you would from a core martial arts technique; i.e., gain more core power, flexibility, mind sharpness, balance, and endurance.
- A healthy, happy heart:
Engaging in a high-intensity exercise (HIIT) helps improve your cardiovascular health. Enhanced cardiovascular fitness is frequently associated with HIIT. But martial arts is better in that it also assists you in achieving a good heart health as you burn off more and more calories. If you don’t think a long, arduous run is for you, martial arts is something you should consider.
Your heart is forced to work harder by the combination of anaerobic and aerobic activities provided by martial arts like Jiu Jitsu. Your capacity to engage in energy-demanding jobs rises as a result, and your heart circulates blood throughout your body more efficiently. It lowers your risk of developing heart-related conditions such heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
- Shredding Weight:
Of course, the main reason why you are learning, losing weight. For some, reducing weight is a health objective, but for others, it is a matter of mastering a new discipline and getting a new vision for life. As portrayed above, learning any of these can help you expend around 500-700 calories during one training session of moderate intensity.
- A disciplined lifestyle:
When you create a routine accommodated to train your body daily, it gives you a heightened zest throughout your day as you do it more and more regularly until it becomes a ritual. You spend a lot of energy and burn a lot of calories every session of martial arts and your hunger pangs slowly die down by regulating the eating signals.
- Sharp reflexes:
Martial arts teaches you to coordinate your body with your opponent while practicing martial arts. Studies show that martial arts have a significant positive impact on your body’s reflex mechanism, including quicker time to react. This is crucial for conducting daily tasks better.
- Focus and attention
Training in martial arts has advantages that go beyond being just physically fit. Your mental health can also be enhanced by martial arts. The discipline needed for training in such a demanding art helps with improving concentration and focus. Exercise helps relieve stress and enhances mood by releasing “feel good” endorphins, so when you do martial arts, this mood elevates further because you now know you can take on predators and bullies easily.
As a true martial artist, you gain the self awareness needed to examine yourself critically and recognize your innate flaws. You discover more about your own self and choose what needs to be better to improve as a person.
- No more sleepless nights:
The advantages of a greater mental health culminates in a better sleep schedule in your daily hectic life. Exercise, on its own, helps your body relax and lowers stress levels, which makes it simpler for you to get to and stay asleep. When you learn any martial arts, you are adding a new study to your day which takes a lot of focus and strength. Naturally, you will be tired at the end of your day. This will help you develop better sleeping habits.
- Muscle tone:
Jiu Jitsu and other grappling-based martial arts require you to resist your opponent with your entire body. You gain muscles throughout your body as a result, enhancing your core strength and flexibility. In martial arts like Muay Thai, the force of attacks drives your bones to transform and get stronger. As a result, bone density improves, lowering your risk of fractures and breaks. Training also gives you a workout that strengthens your bones. Having a calcium-rich diet will help boost this factor.
Almost everyone has a higher muscle mass target since having more muscle increases your metabolic demands, allowing you to burn more calories each day. That is the way to lose weight faster. People with high levels of muscle mass tend to be able to preserve their slender physiques.
- Self respect and self confidence:
Gaining physical fitness and changing your appearance is a big boost to your self-esteem. When you practice martial arts alongside other people, you recognise your limits and strengths, which helps you gain a deeper insight on your inner self and leaves room to keep progressing.
- Improved Respiratory Function:
Some martial arts have an anaerobic nature which increases lung capacity and fortifies respiratory muscles. You’ll be able to breathe more comfortably and have more energy as a result. That said, if you suffer from respiratory problems like asthma, better get a doctor’s consultation before joining any sports or martial arts class.
Martial Arts Vs. Going To The Gym
If practiced in a dedicated manner, martial arts encourage self-expression, physical strength, and mental resilience. There are other advantages to learning martial arts besides those mentioned above. It has a lot to offer everyone, whether they are adults, teenagers, or children. Even classes for children will help them develop stronger, and well-balanced bodies. They learn to become more focused and attentive. It is a psychologically demanding activity for teenagers that teaches them self control, especially those with rage issues.
There are countless possibilities when it comes to selecting a workout plan. Some people use the gym as their primary location for exercising. Some people prefer to workout outside. Some practice sports. Others believe that training in martial arts is the most effective approach to learning a new body and mind training, while simultaneously losing weight and building muscle mass.
So which of these is optimal for your fitness objectives?