Martial arts great for middle age health and fitness new study says

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 26 Mar 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Are you the type who does not like going to the gym? Are you middle aged? If so, you could be an ideal candidate for martial arts training and a ticket to fitness and good health. This is according to a new study carried out at the Institute of Technology, Westbury, New York, USA.

Researchers found the people aged 40-60 were in much better shape than couch potatoes and the average 40-60 year-old if they practised Soo Bahk. This is a type of Korean martial art, rather similar to karate.

Compared to other middle aged people, the martial arts middle aged people had superior aerobic capacity, their muscle strength was much greater and they enjoyed far better physical endurance. They had less body fat, a greater sense of balance (standing on one leg and things like that). Their heart and breathing fitness was also much better. Basically, they are living in a completely different parallel to the others.

Dr Peter Douris, lead researcher said "Health professionals should be aware that alternative methods, such as martial arts training, can increase physical fitness of middle-aged people."

You can read about this study in Sports Medicine (a British journal).

In his study, the non-martial arts group had 12% more body fat than the martial arts group, they could only do half the number of sit ups. The martial arts group consisted of middle aged men and women who had been practising Soo Bahk for three years, two sessions a week.

If you practise Soo Bahk you will learn hand and foot techniques that improve flexibility, strength, stamina, reflex and speed and mental focus. This particular martial art is over 2,000 years old.

Dr. Douris said that Soo Bahk training incorporates all components of fitness.

WHAT IS SOO BAHK DO?

Soo Bahk Do is a classical martial art with over 2,000 years of history and is a traditional Korean discipline. It boasts a unique integration of hard and soft techniques. Though we stress its non-competitive, defensive nature, Soo Bahk Do does have strong combat and self-defense applications.

Moo Duk Kwan means "Institute of Martial Virtue," and is the organization behind our martial art. Over 200,000 Soo Bahk Do practitioners share the philosophy of "world peace through improved human relations." Our curriculim systematically teaches this principle as well as technique that is continuously passed down from our certified senior instructors. We are committed to the standardization of teachings worldwide, which ensures the preservation of our living art.

Soo Bahk Do has much to offer people of all ages, interests, physical abilities, and walks of life. In addition to it's many physical applications, Soo Bahk Do also offers unique tools for promoting harmony and eliminating conflict in life.

Websites of interest:
www.soobahkdo.com
http://www.powdo.com/soobahk/lineage.html