MAC News & Articles

Kicking mental health back into gear

People train in martial arts for many reasons. Stress relief is a great reason helping many who have anxiety, and the extra benefits as well as a goal of black belt is a fantastic reason to train in martial arts.

 

Anxiety and depression can be very serious, even if you are the one with it or have experienced it in the past. Exercise often feels like the last thing on your mind but the correct exercise can have a huge impact on this, and once started can help motivate you further.

 

MAC provides a friendly environment with friendly people who just want to help each other.

Anxiety and depression can manifest itself in many ways, and exercise can help with many of these, not only that though, once your mood is increased exercise can help prevent it falling again. Martial arts provide the interaction with others and the challenges the brain needs to increase that mood.

 

Regular training and the benefits for anxiety

Training in the martial arts on a regular basis can help combat anxiety (as well as many other benefits). Some ways this may helps are as follows:

  • Releases neurotransmitters and endorphins: these are feel good chemicals that the brain releases to let you know it likes what you’re doing and so it makes you feel happier in order to make you train more and keep up the good work.
  • Reduces other chemicals: some chemicals in your body when too high can increase anxiety and depression, by training at MAC these chemicals are reduced and so reduces the negative effect that are associated with them, leaving the way open for positive effects of other chemicals mentioned in the previous bullet point.
  • Increases body temperature: as simple as this may sound, an increased body temperature can have a calming effect. After your have finished your great training session these effect last for a long time afterwards.
  • Gained confidence: as you work with friendly partners to better your technique and martial art knowledge, your confidence grows every single time and so become more motivated in future classes.
  • Distracting the brain: regular training in a friendly environment will get your brain thinking of the techniques and training you are doing, therefore having less time to worry over other things. Also, your mind will start to think about and look forward to the next training class even when you’re not at the academy.
  • Social interaction: training at MAC provides you with many friendly faces.

 

With many different reasons why people have anxiety there is never a single solution. There is one thing for sure though, not dealing with anxiety and just hoping it goes away on its own is definitely not going to help.

Support in an activity which gives you something else to think about is one step closer to helping step closer to a much happier life, and which activities like martial arts the benefits above are only a few that can be gain, along with self protection skills ( http://martial-art-concepts.com/blog/get-your-confide…ok-like-a-victim/), friendship ( http://martial-art-concepts.com/blog/forgotten-art-of-friendship/), and that goal of black belt ( http://martial-art-concepts.com/blog/perseverance-what-it-is/ ).

 

Whether it is you or someone you know that may feel stressed or anxious at times martial arts is a fantastic outlet to getting your mind kicking and punching its way back into a happier, healthier condition.
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