Are you looking to channel your kid’s energy into something positive? Look no further than karate.
While movies usually portray martial arts as violent and dangerous, karate training can benefit children greatly. Aside from keeping them active, fit and engaged, it instills discipline and confidence.
Since mental wellbeing is dependent on physical health, it’s important to encourage your child to be physically active. With hard work, perseverance and practice, they’ll develop a healthy body, mindset and lifestyle.
5 Ways Your Child Can Benefit from Karate Training
Any kind of exercise is great for kids, but karate has unique benefits. From teaching mutual respect, self-defence and mind/body awareness to instilling confidence and willpower, karate can play a vital role in your child’s overall improvement.
Here are the top five benefits of enrolling them in karate.
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It Encourages Physical Fitness
According to reliable sources, there’s been a dramatic rise in unhealthy weights in Canada, and childhood obesity has become a serious medical and social concern. Sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, excessive academic pressure, and limited time and resources for physical activity are leading causes of childhood obesity.
Enrolling a child in a physically demanding activity like karate not only discourages the sedentary lifestyle they’re used to but also keeps them active, alert, and happy. For instance, punching and kicking require strength, which in turn requires their arms, legs and core to work hard. This means that your child will burn more calories, causing them to sleep better and be more active and attentive during the day.
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It Fosters Discipline and Self-Control
Children are so used to instant gratification that lessons in self-restraint and discipline don’t come easy. With karate, your child will learn impulse control, anger management and self-discipline. It can also improve their self-worth, so they won’t fight in the first place. They’ll also learn that the best way to improve their karate skills is to be patient, work hard and to handle conflict in a non-violent manner.
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It Improves Social Skills
Many children find it difficult to interact with their peers. Although school is a wonderful place to make friends, it can also be a source of bullying and social strain.
Karate gives kids the opportunity to meet a new, more diverse set of friends, which may help them open up and communicate better. They may also begin to share their thoughts, ask for help, or offer to help others, because karate is all about teamwork and collaboration. Over time, they will learn management and leadership skills. Their karate teacher will also point out their mistakes and help rectify them, which means they will be more open to constructive criticism.
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It Lessens Screen Time
According to one study, the average child spends six hours or more a day in front of screens. Excessive screen time can affect your child’s health by provoking insomnia, headaches and poor eyesight. It also promotes a sedentary lifestyle.
And there are many mental impacts that are equally scary. Studies have shown that too much screen time can lead to impulsive behavior, difficulty in processing information, and even influence your child’s ability to properly register emotion. Gradually, this can affect your child’s academic performance, progress and self-esteem.
With regular karate classes, your kid will spend less time in front of screens and more focused on their self-improvement.
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It Instills Respect
Parents expect children to respect us, their teachers, elders, and everyone else with whom they come in contact. The dojo is a formal setting that requires students to bow upon entering, as a gesture of respect for their instructor and peers. Students often carry this respect to other areas of their life. Learning to respect oneself, their teammates and coaches can instill a sense of gratitude in children and help them lead a more balanced and peaceful life.
The Bottomline
Karate focuses on controlling one’s body and mind. This control helps children develop patience and respect differences of opinion. As they grow, they start feeling confident in their abilities, including to control their anger. Patience and anger management are great skills to develop early on in childhood.
The benefits of karate training aren’t just limited to the classroom. The boost in self-confidence, mutual respect, physical fitness and discipline will positively impact every area of your child’s life, including their academic and social abilities. Enrolling them in karate is their first step to ensuring a successful, healthy and productive life.