Over thirteen million children in the United States (that’s nearly twenty percent) are obese. Obesity raises the risk of heart disease and diabetes, afflictions that can begin to take effect in adolescence and plague a person for their entire life.
Regular exposure to martial arts is a good way to beat those odds. Here are several ways that martial arts can help enhance fitness and coordination in children.
Martial Arts Makes Fitness Fun
One of the best things that martial arts can do for a child in terms of fitness is to make them fall in love with the process of being active. Martial arts gives its students an outlet through which they can improve their health while also having fun.
A positive association with exercise can build life long habits that lead to an overall healthier lifestyle. During the course of a martial arts session, students burn hundreds of calories while participating in activities that they love.
Martial Arts is a Full Body Workout
Martial arts training exercises every area of the body, strengthening core muscles while also treating its participants to a rigorous aerobic workout.
The multifaceted aspect of martial arts means that the student’s physical fitness is very well rounded.
It Improves Balance and Coordination
Martial arts are not only a form of athleticism, but also a discipline. The maneuvers of any martial art require an intense level of focus that translates into improved coordination, balance, and even fine motor skills.
The precision that martial arts demands naturally puts a big premium on being mindful and focused on how the student moves. This focus can transcend into every aspect of life so that the martial artist enjoys better balance, coordination, and concentration than the average person. All skills that can have benefits both in other sports and in other areas of life.