Martial arts classes can be beneficial for people of any age. The reasons are that martial arts training provides a host of health benefits that encompass physical health, mental health, and emotional health.
While martial arts for seniors might not seem like the most obvious choice for older people looking for a way to get some exercise, the truth is that practicing martial arts can help seniors to stay engaged and social while improving their fitness and strength. With that in mind, here are 6 benefits of martial arts training for seniors.
#1: Martial Arts Classes Build Muscle and Bone Strength
Any senior citizen can benefit from activities that build muscle and bone strength. A loss of muscle mass and a weak skeletal structure can put seniors at risk for falling and injuring themselves, and if falls are serious enough, they can put every aspect of an older person’s health at risk.
Martial arts training helps to build muscle because it provides a full body workout that uses every major muscle group. Having stronger muscles and bones helps to build a healthy body and makes it easier to establish physical routines to maintain good health.
#2: Martial Arts Classes Allow Seniors to Make Friends and Build Connections
Seniors may sometimes struggle to build friend circles, particularly if they have moved after retirement. One of the most important benefits associated with taking martial arts classes is the opportunity to make new friends with a shared interest.
While the pursuit of martial arts belts may be solitary, classes are fun and social! Students have time before and after class to get to know one another. When an older person feels connected to others, they’re less likely to feel lonely or depressed.
#3: Martial Arts Classes Build Mental Alertness
Mental alertness tends to fade as people get older. A senior’s risk of confusion or dementia may be partly determined by heredity, but it may also be impacted by a lack of challenges for their brains.
Seniors who learn martial arts put their brains to the test every time they take a class. Older people who pursue hobbies and activities–particularly if they involve learning something new–keep their brains active and healthy.
#4: Martial Arts Classes Combat Aging
We all have to deal with the realities of aging, but regular physical activity can help seniors to maintain physical fitness, including balance, strength, and flexibility. In fact, martial arts training is one of the best ways to stay in shape as you get older.
Having a healthy body and a healthy mind is essential. The constant practice involved in martial arts training ensures that seniors are always learning and improving.
#5: Martial Arts Classes Sustain Mental Health
Seniors who join martial arts classes share in the benefits that martial arts training can provide for their mental health. There’s plenty of evidence that getting regular exercise has a positive impact on mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, both of which may impact senior citizens.
Martial arts training triggers the release of endorphins, feel-good hormones that can help to ward off feelings of depression. While a martial arts class can’t take the place of necessary therapy or medications, it can do a lot to help seniors manage their own mental health.
#6: Martial Arts for Seniors Improves Safety
Seniors may sometimes feel vulnerable as they lose physical strength. Those who begin practicing the martial arts learn how to use the strength they have in any situation where they feel threatened.
Senior citizens can benefit from learning the martial arts because it helps them maintain a strong body, a healthy brain, and good mental health while also providing a fun social activity where they can meet new people and make friends.