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What
is Physical Fitness?
A "fit" person is usually described as one who possesses maximum
skeletal-muscular strength and flexibility, cardiovascular endurance,
and freedom from disease. Although no exercise can accomplish all of these
at once, most martial arts come very close and contribute considerably
to people's levels of physical fitness. This is perhaps because many were
created for this sole reason. Kung Fu, for example, was supposedly started
by a Buddhist monk as a way to help sickly monks at China's Shaolin Temple
to become physically fit.
Aerobic
Conditioning
Training in the martial arts, which is for the most part "anaerobic,"
can also benefit the heart like most "aerobic" exercises. Aerobic
and anaerobic are terms that describe activities with or without air.
Aerobic exercises are usually performed slowly and comfortably, allowing
enough oxygen to run throughout the bloodstream; anaerobic exercises,
on the other hand, are performed at an increased speed, pushing the body
beyond capacity and causing a need for more oxygen. Many martial arts
practices such as forms, drills, and sparring, when performed in brief,
intense periods over an extended period, are demanding and increases the
heart and breathing rate to such a level that "aerobic" benefits
take effect. These include enlarging of the blood vessels so that there
can be increased blood supply, especially red blood cells and hemoglobin,
and lowered blood pressure, which allows body tissue to receive oxygen
and dispose waster more easily.
Cardiovascular
Endurance
Such circulatory and respiratory improvements strengthen the cardiovascular
("heart and blood vessels") system, resulting in the burning
of calories and maximum endurance. A long-term study by Stanford University
exercise physician Dr. Paffenbarger was the first to prove that these
improvements ultimately cause health and well being. Paffenbarger first
found that people who burn over 2000 calories per week through sustained
exercise significantly reduce their cardiovascular risks. He then evaluated
a number of different types of exercise to see how effective each is in
helping the practitioner burn 2000 weekly calories. Students who practiced
the martial art Karate for at least three hours a week were among the
ones who burned the most calories-an estimated 600 calories per hour.
Since the loss of 3,500 calories results in a weight loss of one pound,
it was also concluded that six hours of training per week could result
in weight loss of one pound.
Disease
Prevention and Physical Therapy
Through physical benefits such as cardiovascular endurance and lowered
blood pressure, the martial arts also help to lower the risk of many deadly
diseases. Their healing power can be linked to their ties with traditional
Asian medicine and the yin/yang theory, which attributes illness to the
loss of harmony and balance of the body's yin and yang, or internal and
external organs. It is believed that because the focus of arts such as
Tai Chi Chuan is to keep the body in physical and psychological equilibrium
through the cultivating of vital energy, or chi (also Japanese ki), they
have the ability to restore health. Although the existence of this life
energy still has not been proven scientifically, numerous studies on the
healing effects of the martial arts in recent years have found that many
diseases can be alleviated through regular and long-term martial arts
practice.
Symbol
of Yin and Yang
A growing body of research exists on the curative benefits of martial art Tai Chi. A study conducted at Johns Hopkins University, as reported in the Washington Post, found that Tai Chi significantly lowered blood pressure and hypertension in older adults. Researchers chose 62 sedentary men and women aged 60 and older, who had high to mild degrees of hypertension. For 12 weeks, one half of the group engaged in low-impact aerobic exercise and the other half Tai Chi in four 30-minute sessions each week. In the end, the Tai Chi group's blood pressure had fallen by an impressive 7 millimeters of mercury. Additionally, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine stated in its September 1999 issue that "Tai Chi and other health promotion programs offer help toward achieving the goals of increasing access to services, maximizing independence, and improving quality of life for people with chronic disabling conditions." An eight-week program at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine was used to explore the effects of Tai Chi on 19 patients with multiple sclerosis. At the end of the study, their walking speeds had increased by 21% and hamstring flexibility by 28%. In addition to lowering blood pressure, hypertension and providing therapy for sclerosis patients, arts like Tai Chi have also been used to treat people with heart disease, respiratory ailments, nervous disorders, and digestion problems.
While these benefits apply to adults and the elderly, martial arts are especially important to children and young adults as well. According to the American Council on Exercise, children who are physically active have fewer chronic health problems. Unfortunately, they also state that 63 % of these children are no longer physically active by the time they reach high school. It is important that youths maintain fitness early on in life so that they can continue healthily into adulthood.
Application
Through training, martial arts students develop muscular strength and
the ability to concentrate and exert the body's energy powerfully. The
practice of basic techniques and patterns develops flexible limbs that
can move and change direction with ease. Lastly, sparring helps the student
focus, coordinate his movements, keep balanced, and develop peripheral
vision. Interestingly, all of these characteristics and skills acquired
from martial arts can enhance student performance in other physical activities
such as basketball, golf, and tennis.
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