Most people learn karate for self-defence purposes. But it is also a great workout that can help you lose weight and build coordination, flexibility, and core strength.
If you’ve been Googling ‘karate classes near me’ and ‘best way to lose weight’, you’ve come to the right place.
In this post you will learn how karate can benefit you when it comes to weight loss. We will also explore the other amazing benefits that come with karate.
Let’s dive right in.
How Karate Can Help You Lose Weight
Karate is one of the top martial arts with regards to self-defence and body discipline. This high-aerobic activity challenges almost every muscle group. That’s why karate can also be used as an instrument not only to build strength and power but to lose weight. Your endurance, agility, flexibility, muscle tone, and sense of balance can all be improved greatly through karate.
How does it help achieve this? Keep reading to find out.
1. It Is a Full-Body Workout.
Karate is a full-body workout that helps you lose weight and improve your overall health and fitness. The consistent motions and techniques initiated in the hands and legs (and the strength exerted from them) are transmitted to the whole body. With regular practise, you will start to notice a significant improvement in your fitness levels within a couple of weeks.
In general, you can burn 500 calories in one hour of karate class. According to eatthis.com, that is equivalent to a McDonald’s hamburger and small order of fries – in case you need a cheat meal.
Karate requires speed, power, balance, and endurance. So, the training will be geared towards these components to enable the karateka (the karate practitioner) to increase their efficiency.
2. It Is a Cardiovascular Workout.
Cardiovascular training is an essential part of weight loss training and an important factor in burning calories. It also greatly improves your metabolic rate, promoting higher levels of ketosis (fat burning).
Karate has a significant positive impact on your cardiovascular system. It is the perfect weight loss training because it combines high-intensity cardiovascular exercise with a series of challenging poses and methods. Its exciting approach to fitness makes it an interesting and effective way to drop weight.
A one-hour karate session includes shadow boxing, punching or kicking pads, and sparring. This gets your blood pumping, which improves your heart health over time. Consistent karate training can also substantially decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke by boosting your immunity and health.
3. It Tones Your Body and Strengthens Your Muscles.
After an hour of switching between so-called ‘orthodox’ and ‘southpaw’ stances, your legs will become tired and are forced to adapt. It is this adaptation that creates muscle.
For example, katas (detailed patterns of movement in karate) and poses work on the arm and leg muscles such as calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, as well as the abdominal and dorsal regions. Abdominal exercises and training positions like horse stance and front stance also develop your muscle mass.
4. It Is a Form of Strength Training
Regular karate training can also help increase your agility, flexibility, and strength. Strength training is an important part of karate training as it helps you enjoy all the sport’s physical benefits.
Different positions (like horse stance) and techniques (like extended punches) can lead to substantial increases in your overall strength. This is because they simultaneously work the glutes, core, quads, and shoulders. This combination of jabs, kicks, blocking, and dodging burns a significant number of calories.
Karate training is a great way to build muscle, burn fat, and get you in great shape without any extreme diet. Eat whole, unprocessed foods; choose high-quality proteins; drink lots of water; sleep 8 to 9 hours; and stay consistent with these habits. Enroll in karate training and you’ll be one step closer to looking and feeling better.