No, this is not speaking metaphorically. A martial artist has a strong heart, both physically and emotionally. And it doesn’t take a real genius to know why this is. But sometimes, it’s still good to lay everything in black and white to help us remember.
So we’re giving you the lowdown on why engaging in Martial Arts will give you a better physique and help your physical heart be healthier while also balancing out your emotional well-being.
Strengthening the Physical Heart
Any good doctor will tell you that engaging in physical activity will improve your cardiovascular health. And there are a lot of sports, hobbies, and exercises that you can apply to help vitalize your heart, improve your blood circulation, strengthen your bones and reinforce your muscular built and strength.
Whenever you do your martial arts training, you adopt a more effective way to lead a healthier life since it is a surefire way to enhance your health and fitness.
Martial Arts has a specific benefit that adds to the health of your heart. For one, it increases the health of your heart muscles. Each bodily movement, even as simple as practicing a resting stance, has a considerably healthy effect on your heart.
Engaging in the vigorous training of taekwondo, karate or judo will raise your heart rate, which then speeds up your metabolism. This helps burn the fats in your body and converts it into muscles that will fortify the overall strength and endurance of your body.
Striking combinations, doing jabs and kicks, punching the heavy bag and repetitive hand and feet exercises are great blood stimulants, which regulates the flow of oxygen in your blood. In turn, you get better blood circulation and prevent the blockage of your arteries because they become wider - perfect for easier blood flow.
The dreaded heart failure caused by a heart attack is caused by cholesterol gathering in the walls of your arteries, which later on turns into plaque. Imagine the same plaque that grows on your teeth - that’s also how hard cholesterol reserves become when they cling to your heart ventricles.
Various martial arts practices make sure that they condition the whole body, beginning with the cardiovascular system. Because Martial Arts is also a spiritual practice (link), it pays tribute to the health of the body as a whole and recognizes the importance of the mind, soul, body, and spirit, with the heart as a central point of health,
Strengthening the Figurative Heart
Thousands of martial artist have expressed gratitude to the Arts for the kind of positive disposition that they have now. Just listen to whistlekick podcast (link) for inspiring stories of Grand Masters and legacies talk so passionately about how Martial Arts has helped them through the toughest times of their lives and made them who they are today.
Martial Arts definitely helps a person adopt a more optimistic perspective in life because one cannot conquer the body without conquering the mind. The mind, soul, and spirit must align with the body in order for a student to maximize the full potential of the Arts.
And you really can’t help but feel lighter and happier whenever you’re training or sparring with someone. Whether you are an innately competitive person or not, engaging in healthy combat or competition increases healthy hormones in your body. That’s why you feel an “upper” when you are in the midst of a sports competition - whether as a participant or even just a spectator.
You also develop a lot of positive character traits as a martial arts student. You strengthen your resolve, dedication, and obedience. And of course, discipline. You can’t be a true martial artist without having discipline in your life. It’s one of the cornerstones.
Live with A Happy, Healthy Heart
We cannot deny that health and fitness are one of the most vital facets of our everyday lives. As we mature, both physiologically and psychologically, we will be feeling the wear and tear on our bodies as well as our minds.
But if we engage ourselves in Martial Arts, we are slowing down the biological effects of aging, giving ourselves more time to do the things we want to do, and improve the overall quality of our lives.