Five brain-boosting reasons to take up martial arts – at any age

We are all aware that exercise generally has many benefits, such as improving physical fitness and strength. But what do we know about the effects of specific types of exercise? Researchers have already shown that jogging can increase life expectancy, for example, while yoga makes us happy. However, there is one activity that goes beyond enhancing physical and mental health – martial arts can boost your brain’s cognition too.

 Martial arts can improve your attention span and alertness long term – new study

While it could be argued that martial arts simply are among many activities that can lead to better health, what we and other researchers have found is that their practice is one of those rare crossovers that helps significantly improve the brain just as much as the body.

Health Benefits of Martial Arts

Martial arts can provide numerous health benefits for people of all ages. Perhaps the best studied is tai chi, which, as we’ve reported before, can improve balance and coordination, memory, walking ability, and sleep, as well as reduce anxiety, depression, falls, and knee, back, and other types of chronic pain. But studies have also looked at karate, tae kwon do, and some other martial arts.

How Karate Helped an Aging Expert Age Better

The ancient Greek karate style known as pankration offers time-tested lessons on aging well.

Jujitsu: A Martial Art That’s More Than Power

Jujitsu is a martial art that promotes the idea that a smaller, weaker person can defend against a bigger, stronger person by using proper technique and body leverage.

Martial Art Confidence

The good news is that your first day is the beginning of your path to the most amazing journey that will eventually connect you with your own personal sense of physical, mental, and spiritual confidence.

Martial arts offers brain-boosting benefits for all ages, research finds

As well as increasing physical fitness and mental health, martial arts can boost brain cognition too

Martial-Arts Move May Lessen Impact of a Fall on Hip

The analysis assessed the effects of seven falling techniques on the force of impact from falls in various directions. Martial-arts rolling, which involves bending the knees and rotating slightly backward during a fall, was the only technique to significantly reduce impact on the hip. Rolling may distribute forces more evenly throughout the body as it hits the ground, the researchers suggested.

Meet People, Hit Them, Lose Pounds

While I took up karate to lose weight and improve my health, I learned to my surprise that I enjoy physical combat and the feeling of power it gives me. I feel better at work, too.

Mixed Martial Arts Helps Some Veterans With PTSD

Mixed martial arts is a cross between kickboxing and wrestling. It isn't a replacement for PTSD therapies but it is a coping mechanism. And while one psychiatrist says mixed martial arts is not therapy, he adds it could be therapeutic.

Teaching women to fight today could stop rapes tomorrow

There is, however, another method to prevent rape that some researchers believe is effective. Called “empowerment self-defense,” this strategy teaches psychological awareness, verbal assertiveness, and female self-defense over a series of classes.

This Ancient Martial Art Can Fight Disease, Calm The Mind And Slow Aging

Like yoga, tai chi is a type of moving meditation — a gentle exercise that focuses on the breath and prioritizes ease of movement— that comes with a host of health benefits. And, like yoga, there are distinct styles and lineages of tai chi along with more modern and hybrid incarnations.