And here is why:

If you are having any health issues, physical or mental, then martial arts may be just the right tool to help you get your life back in balance. Lets take a look at just a few of the potential benefits Martial Arts has to offer.

Weight Loss Healthy Heart Easier Breathing Less Stress Increased Self Confidence Improved Behavior

Dont these sound like good reasons to take up Martial Arts?

 Martial Arts are a great way to get into shape! Because of the anaerobic qualities of Martial Arts, strength and muscle mass increases. This in turn leads to a metabolic boost, helping practitioners get into shape! -(Health Status,2014)

 Due to the amount of cardio exercises associated with most martial arts, many people see cardiovascular benefits such as a decrease in blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol. (Swiercz, 2009)

 Both hard and soft styles of martial arts have respiratory benefits. More meditative martial arts such as Qigong and Tai Chi focus on lung control, while self defense based martial arts like Taekwondo have anaerobic qualities, increasing your bodies lung efficiency. (Jahnke, 2010)

Stressed? Martial arts can help with that too! In addition to the calming effects of proper breathing, your body releases chemicals called endorphins Endorphinstrigger a positive feeling in the body. (WebMD, 2014) This means martial arts can help a person deal with stress, or even depression!

 We have all been in situations where our self-confidence has been questioned. Many people feel this insecurity walking down the street at night, or facing a bullyLearning self defense increases self-confidence of practitioners by taking away their feeling of vulnerability.Swiercz, 2009

 Martial Arts have been shown to have many positive effects on behavior including:
-Increased self control -Decrease in aggressive behavior -Increase in respect towards others

These behavior benefits are created by the rigorous moral codes and expectations that go hand in hand with any Martial Art. (Macarie, 2014)

 You should take Martial Arts to improve your life. No matter what you are struggling with, Martial Arts can help! Why would you not want a leaner physic, lower cholesterol, and increased behavior? Worried about looking silly because of your age/weight/inexperience? There are countless styles, groups, and programs that cater to the diverse needs of each individual. So what are you waiting for? Get off the couch and find the program thats right for you! After all, what do you have to loose?

 "Benefits of Anaerobic Exercise." HealthStatus How Is Your Health RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 03. Mar. 2014.
<http://www.healthstatus.com/health_blog/plan-for-weight-loss/benefitsexercise/>. anaerobic-

Jahnke, Larkey, Rogers, Etnier, and Fang Lin "A Comprehensive Review of Health Benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi." NCBI. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 24 Aug.2010. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3085832/>.

Macarie, Iulius C., and Ron Roberts. "Martial Arts and Mental Health." Contemporary Psychotherapy . N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
<http://contemporarypsychotherapy.org/vol-2-no-1/martial-arts-and-mental-health/>.

Swiercz, Adam P. "DCTKD The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Martial Arts Training." DCTKD The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Martial Arts Training. N.p., 09 Aug. 2009. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.dctkd.org/library/papers/benefits-of-ma-training.cfm>.

"Exercise and Depression: Endorphins, Reducing Stress, and More." WebMD. WebMD, 2014.Web. 02 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression>.

 Martial Arts. 2013. Photograph. Spearhead Education. 01 Aug. 2013. Web. N.d. Bentonville. ATA Martial Arts. Web. 3 Mar. 20. Wallace, Doug. Capoeira. N.d. Gaia Health Blog. Web. 38 Mar. 2014. Wallace, Doug. Capoeira Dodge. N.d. Gaia Health Blog. Web. 38 Mar. 2014. Tai Chi. N.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. Muai Thai Kickboxing. N.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.