It’s the New Year and everyone’s hitting the gym trying to get in shape. Sadly 15-20% of the people who have made it their new year’s resolution to get in shape will stick to their goal. That means 80-85% of people will quit. So why is this statistic so high? Boredom, not enough time or motivation, and frustration are some of the most common reasons people don’t stick with their exercise programs. For those 80-85% of people, finding a good martial arts school in their area might just be the solution to their fitness problem.   Nowadays when adults hear martial arts they think of an activity that is suited for the young, but adults can benefit just as much from the martial arts as children can. Proper martial arts training should enhance both muscular and cardiovascular endurance as well as flexibility and strength.

Martial Arts training offers the benefits of both getting in shape and learning self-defense at the same time. Classes are often high energy, and are filled with a variety of exercises as well as kata (forms) and techniques making it very difficult for boredom to set in. The atmosphere and sense of community at a martial arts dojo (school) also help to enhance one’s motivation, making it much more difficult to give up 2 weeks or 2 months down the road.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that healthy adults under the age of 65 get 30 minutes of moderately intense cardio 5 days per week in addition to eight to ten strength-training exercises, eight to twelve repetitions of each exercise twice a week. For the average American, trying to meet these standards can be quite difficult if not impossible. By studying martial arts many students can achieve great results by simply attending 2 hour long classes per week. It’s important, however, that the school places an emphasis on physical conditioning, which all good schools should.

If your looking to get in shape and hitting the gym just hasn’t worked in the past take the time to look into finding a good martial arts program. Physical conditioning is something that is essential to martial arts training, so if you find a good school you’ll most definitely find yourself getting in the best shape of your life, often times without even realizing it.