8/13/2019 05. - Health Benefits of Regularly Practicing Aikido.doc

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/05-health-benefits-of-regularly-practicing-aikidodoc 1/2

Health Benefits of Regularly Practicing Aikido

Aikido, like most various forms of martial arts, can be seen by outsiders as being an aggressive way

of life. However, this is far from truth. Aikido is a discipline that boosts a number of good aspects

of a disciple’s lifestyle and keeps him or her stable, both - mentally and physically. Moreover, the

fact that a person burns a lot of calories during a single Aikido workout means that it can prove to

 be a very effective weight-loss program as well.

Aikido has come a long way from its origins as a martial art. It is now widely practiced and learnt

 by people all over world. eople practice Aikido because it provides several health benefits in

addition to being a martial art. Aikido has truly gone global and is now accessible to !ust about

anyone who wants to practice it.

Ideal for stress management 

Although Aikido originated as a form of self-defense and attack, more and more people are

 becoming aware of the self-control boosting properties of the discipline. "he roots of Aikido grow

with significant focus on developing the body and mind to work in perfect harmony. #ndurance,general physical fitness and conditioning are the hallmarks of this martial art.

$tress management is a very important aspect of Aikido because of the fact that being rela%ed and

calm is central to the ability of learning various techni&ues. "he core principle of Aikido is that

'(i’, which is the internal energy, can only flow properly when the body is rela%ed. Also known as

the 'art of peace’, Aikido is considered to be an alternative to aggression. )ther than the combative

 properties of the martial art, teachers look to promote various uses of Aikido in a disciples everyday

life.

Aikido can teach the art of patience and mind control to a person. *ong practice of Aikido has the

 potential to train the mind to focus more. Aikido has helped many in strengthening their memory,

managing their stress and making them more calm and determined as a person.

Aikido for cardio and stretching 

)ne prominent aspect of Aikido when compared to most other forms of martial arts that you are

likely to notice is the fact that pushing or e%tending movements tend to be much more common than

 pulling or contractive movements. Aikido training does not target specific muscles or muscle groups

in order to improve mass, tone and power. Instead, it promotes whole body movement in order to

ensure that the body is in synchroni+ation when it needs to perform the art.

alisthenics is a very important aspect of Aikido when it comes to both, cardio and stretching areas

of the martial art. Individuals practicing Aikido will e%perience increased o%ygen intake as well as

energy levels and a feeling of being significantly re!uvenated. "he work out is guaranteed to work

up sweat with there being sudden changes in pace of the workout that help further develop the

anaerobic aspects of the body.

Aikido is a great cardio e%ercise, meaning that it is great for the health of the heart and blood

circulation in general. It is especially useful for people who are old and unable to go to gym or

e%ercise regularly. Aikido greatly helps in weight reduction and in improving fitness of its

 practitioners.

"he stretching movements of Aikido help to strengthen the muscles of arms and legs. It is a great

way to train the body to become stronger and more fle%ible.

8/13/2019 05. - Health Benefits of Regularly Practicing Aikido.doc

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/05-health-benefits-of-regularly-practicing-aikidodoc 2/2

Aikido for self defense 

)riginally developed as a form of self - defense, Aikido is a very useful tool to possess in the event

you find yourself in a vicious, unprovoked attack. Aikido teaches you to use the aggressors own

weaknesses against him. It is because of this that Aikido teaches you to remain calm and collected.

eople that are filled purely with anger or rage during an altercation have their !udgment clouded.Aikido disciples tend to be able to see their opponent’s weakness as a result of their ability to

remain calm.

Another aspect of Aikido is the fact that there is a lot of focus on reducing the impact that your

opponent’s attacks will have on you. "echni&ues like rolling away and falling properly will help

significantly minimi+e the force of the attack.

$elf defense is perhaps the oldest and more common use of Aikido. "he use of Aikido can help a

 person to defend himself in the case of an altercation. "here have been many cases of people

successfully using Aikido to defend themselves in attacks. or this very reason, knowledge of

Aikido is very useful for any person.