Martial Arts And Health

The practice of martial arts and health are intricately linked. Not only does physical exercise have an impact, but learning complicated movements has been shown to be beneficial for the brain function. This can be the answer to stress, depression, anxiety and a whole host of other mental and physical health issues.

In a martial arts class, you get a three fold benefit:

• Social interaction – is proven to help mental health
• Physical activity – has multiple mental and physical health benefits
• Learning complicated movements (mental activity) – increases brain function

The top three cited activities on the NHS website for increasing mental wellbeing are:

• Connect with others
• Be physically active
• Learn new skills

The other two are giving to others and mindfulness.

Martial Arts And Health – Mindfulness

Learning a martial art is similar to learning a new language or a musical instrument. It takes your full concentration and focus – another factor which has been deemed to be mentally beneficial. However there’s some added benefits to learning a martial art which you don’t get from learning a language or a musical instrument:

• Physical movement
• Mindfulness – mind body connection

“Paying attention to the present moment or your senses can be helpful. This is sometimes called mindfulness. You can use techniques such as meditation or breathing exercises. Or you can practise mindfulness by paying more attention to your senses while doing things you do each day, for example, while washing up or eating.” – https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/wellbeing/

Martial arts use mindfulness to understand the mind and body connection. You learn to focus completely on the movement and nothing else. This practice has huge implications for your mental (and physical) wellbeing. When understood properly the mind-body connection has huge implications for the generation of power in martial arts. It allows you to release tension in the muscles which otherwise can inhibit efficient movement.

Summary

Practicing martial arts regularly has several implications for your health. There’s the obvious health benefit of taking regular exercise. Exercise has been shown to be far more beneficial for treating depression, for example than the most powerful anti-depressants. Regular exercise is also the antidote for a whole host of other conditions affecting the mind and body such as stress and anxiety.

The social aspect of joining a martial arts class has its implications too. Connection with other people is vital for mental wellbeing as mentioned on the NHS website at the top of the list:

Learning a new skill is beneficial too because it helps improve brain function, boost confidence and can help build a sense of purpose. Another benefit of learning a martial art is the mindfulness aspect. Although not all martial arts focus on mindfulness, some do. Arts such as Wing Chun, Tai Chi and more internal styles focus on the mind/body connection as part of training. This awareness can help grow a deeper sense of peace in normal day to day activities, and its potential extends beyond the mere combative application of the practice.

I would also add that it’s hugely beneficial mentally simply doing something you enjoy. I’ve been a Wing Chun pratitioner for several years and hugely enjoy playing chi sau with my students.