Achieving Great Health Through the Martial Arts , Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 3:37 AM, in

As much as we may try to avoid by focusing on diet or pills, the reality is that for most people, exercise remains key to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The difficulty lies in the fact that many people find traditional exercise routines rather boring and tedious. Running on a tread mill is great, but doing so for thirty minutes or an hour is a lot harder to do even if you're listing to music or a good enough to be able to read while jogging.
More importantly another challenge many Americans face is the lack of mobility. We simply to walk, stretch, or get around as much as our parents did. Whether its DVD's, cable, or the internet, our lifestyles have changed this is adding to premature aging in some respects.
One solution to the need for exercise is the martial arts. The right martial art can address the lack of exercise and can also provide strength training and stretching we desperately need to avoid needless strains. The key is finding the right art which will keep you interested and motivated.
While this will often vary on the school and the instructor, aerobically intensive arts like Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu in its various forms (e.g. Aiki, Brazilian, etc.), Hapkido, and Muay Thai are excellent to consider. In the case of Tae Kwon Do, the emphasis on forms may prove somewhat boring. Most Tae Kwon Do schools incorporate some form of sparring. Sparring for an hour can be extremely intensive but is quite exhilarating while achieving the end goals of exercise and training.




If stretching is a greater concern than weight, that an art like Tai Chi and even possibly Aikido should be considered. Most people have see older individuals practicing Tai Chi for its meditative and stretching benefits, though most forget it was in fact an actual combat martial art. Aikido is another possibility though there is somewhat more movement and possible strain involved since it includes throws, locks, and wrist twists.
Boxing is certainly an option and kick boxing of courses combines upper and well as core and leg training and exercise. The stress relief brought about by practicing the martial arts should not be forgotten as well. As more and more people work in office environments in front of a computer a venue for releasing pent up energy and frustration is certainly a smart thing to do. As one instructor noted, it's much better to break wooden boards in the dojo than to do so at work!

Jacob Lumbroso is a world traveler and an enthusiast for foreign languages, history, and foreign cultures. He writes articles on history and languages and has a website providing information on Cheap Electric Guitars and on Vintage Electric Guitars Read More :Different Styles of Boxing Gloves