Fit is the new ‘in’. In today’s fast paced life, every one understands the importance of being fit and healthy. People are willing to invest time and money to get a holistic workout for their bodies through martial arts like Wing Chun as well as their mind; increasingly moving away from fad diets and boring gym routines to take up more innovative fitness regimes that have overall impact on the body, mind and spirit combining weight management with strength training as well as mental conditioning.
And why not, a healthy body coupled with a healthy mind is the only secret to a happy life! Wing Chun is a traditional Chinese martial art that is believed to be developed by a woman and is a highly effective routine for overall fitness, self-defense and mind training. Most Wing Chun trainers train adults and children in the art of Wing Chun to help them achieve strength, fitness and boost their overall confidence and self-esteem.
Here are top 5 ways in which practicing Wing Chun can help you stay fit:
Motor Co-ordination – Wing Chun or any form of Kung Fu sharpens the motor co-ordination in the body. It requires students to use arms and legs together to block, jab and kick simultaneously. It requires immense co-ordination to kick and punch at the same time or strike and block a blow at the same time. The training helps students fine-tune their motor skills to use the right and left side of the body at the same time. Wing Chun also involves eye exercises that improve visual reflexes as well as muscle memory and tactile reflexes. Considering the amount of time we all spend in front of our laptops, the visual exercises are a boon to train the vision and keep it healthy.
Stress Buster – Any form of cardio exercise is known to be a mood uplifter. And what better than Wing Chun, considered to be a more intensive cardio workout than even kickboxing. Many celebrities have successfully leveraged the art of Wing Chun to relieve stress and harbor positive energy in their lives. Wing Chun trains the mind to live in the present. As students focus on mastering the technique or blocking an attack from their opponent, their mind learns to focus on the present moment and not wander to the piles of work in the office. Wing Chun is a complete work out that not only involves muscles, but also involves the mind. The students must learn the right techniques for maximizing the benefit, which helps them learn the virtue of patience and the importance of practice as well.
Flexibility – With age, most of us lose that flexibility and agility we possessed as a child. Even young adults complain of stiff joints and aches due to wrong posture and inactivity in our daily routines. Wing Chun is the perfect answer to this modern malady. Though performing Wing Chun properly requires minimal level of flexibility and agility, stretching exercises form a major part of the Wing Chun training and continuous practice endows the body with a healthy level of flexibility even at an older age. Along with flexibility, the exercises also help to tone up the muscles for better strength and agility, ensuring speed and alacrity in the body.
Weight Management – Wing Chun is a great way to stay fit. It is a perfect routine for weight management and even weight loss, depending on the motivation level and regularity of the students. Wing Chun students burn a lot of calories while punching and kicking and the movements help to build large muscle groups in the body leading to more efficient fat burning. A mix of high intensity cardio and strength training, it builds muscle strength in legs and the upper body leading to higher metabolic rate and weight loss along with focusing the mind and improving the overall muscle tone.
Improve Focus – Practicing Wing Chun helps students develop a deeper control over their mind and thoughts through several mind training exercises including meditation and chi gong. These highly effective techniques are taught to students to help them focus their mind and empty it of the constant gibberish that goes on in the mind continuously. Once the student has developed their ability, students can practice meditation anywhere to control their mind and relax their bodies. Regularly practicing meditation also helps improve mental focus, essential to succeed in today’s fast paced environment thronged with distractions.
At Combative Wing Chun Vancouver, our programs are designed for adults and children, focusing on mental relaxation and building strength, fitness and alacrity for adults and character development and physical fitness. The highly professional and experienced instructors at our school aim to foster mutual respect, greater competency and a feeling of well-being in all the students along with increasing their stamina and physical fitness.
Author Bio:
Instructor Young has been practicing martial arts for over 9 years and he is certified in multiple martial arts and self defense training programs. His passion for martial arts led him to establish Combative Wing Chun Martial Arts School where he teaches his students fighting skills as well as success skills that can be applied to all areas of life. To get more information on his martial arts programs connect with him on Facebook , Twitter and Youtube.
