The last several decades have been marked by unprecedented technological growth that has made our lives considerably more manageable than those who lived a few hundred years ago. The tech boom has drastically affected how we live our lives and work.
The World Health Organization states that 60 to 85 percent of people today live sedentary lifestyles, negatively impacting global health. Adopting a sedentary lifestyle doubles your risk of cardiovascular issues while making you more vulnerable to health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. A sedentary lifestyle is just as harmful to your mental health as data shows it increases your risk of disorders like depression and anxiety.
Fortunately, mixed martial arts (MMA) training can provide the physical activity you need to cancel out the negative impact of spending most of your days hunched over a desk. Sure, stepping into an MMA gym might sound intimidating to anyone who rarely exercises, but it can be a game changer for your health and overall well-being.
Combating sedentary lifestyles with mixed martial arts training
The reality of modern times is that sitting down has become our default mode. We sit as we travel back and forth from our daily activities, sit down while we’re at work, and remain seated while we de-stress at the end of the day while watching TV or scrolling through social media.
It’s almost as if we’ve forgotten that we aren’t designed to spend most of our time sitting on our butts. Sitting down most of the day harms our physical and mental health.
You’re probably wondering what mixed martial arts has to do with all this. While you can get some cardiovascular exercise by running on a treadmill a few times a week, MMA training gives you a full-body workout that engages muscles you didn’t even know you had.
Mixed martial arts training also happens to be lots of fun, so you don’t even realize how hard you’re working when you’re at the gym. You get high-intensity interval training while giving your brain lots of stimulation as you learn techniques and how to execute them on resisting opponents.
You also learn what is arguably the best martial art for self-defense in modern times. MMA incorporates techniques from various martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Boxing, and Judo.
Some of the reasons why mixed martial arts training is the perfect way to negate the detrimental effects of a sedentary lifestyle include:
1. Gives you a full-body workout
One of the biggest perks of learning MMA is the full-body workout you get. It’s very different from sitting on a stationary bike and pedaling away. Every muscle in your body gets a thorough workout when you train mixed martial arts. Your core, legs, and arms are engaged whenever you throw a strike or shoot for a takedown.
The intense workout you get from training can burn as much as 1,000 calories every hour you spend on the mat. The calorie burn you get will help make up for all the hours you spend sitting down daily. Adjust your diet, and you’ll be in the best shape you’ve ever been.
Training will improve the strength, endurance, and definition of muscles all over your body. The best part is you’ll have so much fun at the gym that showing up will never feel like a chore.
2. Provides stress relief
Some jobs have always been stressful, but things have gotten considerably worse in modern times as many of us work in fast-paced industries where the order of the day is production, production, production.
MMA training provides an outlet to release all your pent-up tension from work. You get to unload your frustration on heavy bags and focus mitts. Your mind will be much clearer when you leave the gym, and you might even start to see your training as therapeutic.
3. Builds mental fortitude
MMA training isn’t only about strengthening your body; it does the same for your brain. Your training will involve learning countless techniques, mastering combinations, and strategizing when sparring with your training partners.
Your training will teach you to make intelligent decisions even when your body and mind feel exhausted. The mental toughness you learn from training will carry over into all other aspects of your life.
The mental benefits of training don’t stop there. Learning mixed martial arts will also teach you the importance of discipline, perseverance, and consistency.
4. Improves confidence
MMA training helps to build confidence as you master techniques and learn how to defend yourself. Your classes will provide a fast feedback loop that constantly reminds you that you can overcome any obstacles you stumble across. One day, you can barely get through warmups and barely break a sweat while performing the same drills a week later.
Knowing you can defend yourself almost makes you more self-assured. It gives you a sense of empowerment, making you stand taller and more willing to take on challenges in other aspects of your life. Every accomplishment you achieve at the gym will make you more confident.
Learning MMA will make you healthier, stronger, and happier
Mixed martial arts training won’t just help to cancel out the effects of spending so much time sitting down; it will also improve your performance at work. You’ll be less stressed, more productive, and more confident if you start taking classes. You’ll also be less likely to call in sick thanks to your training, as your risk of health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease are drastically reduced.
Ready to swap your office chair for a spot on the mat? Getting started might be intimidating, but you’ll get stronger mentally and physically with each class. It might even make you start looking forward to Mondays since it now signifies the start of a new training week.
Unlike other activities like running or lifting weights at the gym, your MMA classes will be something you look forward to and tell everyone at work about.
Read more:
Stressful Life of a Professional MMA Fighter
BJJ as a Therapeutic Tool for PTSD: Grappling Your Way to Mental Wellness
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