How Martial Arts Helps You Get In The Best Shape Of Your Life

By OneFC..com

With the rise of martial arts and ONE Championship, many gyms and dojos have seen a huge boost in uptake. Fans see their heroes inside the cage and want to learn more about the skills it takes to compete, all while picking up an enjoyable hobby that offers knowledge and discipline.

The physical prowess seen in the heroes of ONE Championship is also enough to capture the admiration of those watching. These are the best conditioned athletes in the world, all of whom have speed, power and exceptional physiques.

It is not just the professionals who can achieve these physical attributes, however. With the right regime, you can too. Martial arts training can help anybody get in the best shape of their lives, and here is how.

Martial Arts Improves All Aspects Of Physical Ability

There are many things that contribute to us being in good health and finely tuned for performance. Strength, speed, power, flexibility, endurance, balance, and much more. Rather than training in something that may only help you with one attribute, martial arts will help you with all of them.

Martial arts is built around the complete command of your body, as well as your opponent’s. This means you will be building functional fitness, which is important for most people in day-to-day life. Lifting and moving another person requires strength, and striking improves speed and power. Also, in the striking or grappling exchanges, you will use flexibility and balance, so each time you go to class you will be improving each of these areas.

It Melts Fat Away

Weight loss and fat burning are often a major part of the ‘getting in shape’ process. Your martial arts training will generally combine both steady state cardio and high-intensity interval training (or HIIT, for short) in the sessions. That potent mix will give you a double whammy of ways to burn those calories and fat, both during your workout and in the hours of increased metabolic rate after.

A hard session can burn between 500 to 1000 calories, which is an easy way to put you in a caloric deficit and allow your body to start toning up and leaning out. The bonus? You won’t be watching the clock on your treadmill, as you will be so engrossed in your training, the time will fly by.

The Training Is Fun

Doing the hard work necessary to get in great shape is not always easy, but it can be made much more pleasant by actually enjoying what you are doing. If you are tired after a hard day and end up slumped on the couch, the thought of a slog on the rowing machine will not inspire you to get up and moving.

The prospect of doing something you enjoy, however, will give you that extra bit of enthusiasm to make it to the gym, which means you are more likely to be regular and consistent in your training, because it doubles up as your hobby. Just ask yourself, which sounds like more fun? Drilling a sweet striking combination, or doing three sets of 10 bench presses?

The learning never ends, too, so it does not become stale like repeatedly lifting a weight or doing the same circuit time after time again. You will certainly want to train more, and you know what more training means? You become fitter, stronger, and leaner.

Your Teammates Will Keep You Motivated

You have made it to the gym, but you are starting to feel the fatigue as the day catches up with you. On your own, you can take the easy route of an early shower and nobody will question it. However, when you are with your teammates learning martial arts together, they will encourage you, spur you on, and congratulate you when you have pushed through your boundaries.

Suppose you have not made it to the gym – like before, you are stuck on the couch with the television remote in your hand. The thought of heading out to see your friends and being there for them, like they are there for you, will soon put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Camaraderie helps you train harder, and it allows you to share the rewards of your work together.

You Will Eat Healthier And Feel Better

It is easy to succumb to the fast food dinner or substitute a good meal with sugary snacks, but that often makes us feel sluggish throughout the day, as those foods do not contain long-lasting energy. Hitting the pads or heavy bag with that sluggish feeling hanging over you will make you less focused on training, and there will be less gas in the tank.

You love the feeling of a hard session and knowing you have gotten better each time you get on the mats. That means you want to be fuelled the right way, so you now have a major reason to make the right choices when they present themselves. Better food choices mean you will shed the pounds faster, all while accelerating your fitness.