Sasha
Eighty-four percent of Americans don’t participate in sports or exercise regularly and the results don’t go unnoticed:
- 66% of people in the United States are either overweight or obese
- In 2011, the leading cause of death was heart disease, caused primarily by an inactive lifestyle
Experts say lack of motivation is a primary cause of inactivity.
A martial arts class is a fun alternative that provides full-body conditioning routines that are great for both men and women. In fact, 48% of adults who regularly practice martial arts are women. Despite providing an engaging workout, people are nearly 20 times more likely to work out on a machine than participate in martial arts.
But the secret’s out: not only is martial arts more engaging, it’s a more effective workout too. On average, a 155lb person will burn 30% more calories in a 30 minute martial arts class than during 30 minutes of traditional exercise.* Take a look:
| What You Ate | 30 Minutes of Zero Fun | 30 Minutes of Martial Arts |
Starbucks 16 oz. Espresso with Nonfat Milk: 130 cal Starbucks Bagel without Cream Cheese: 215 calTotal: 345 cal |
Cycle vigorously! 200 watts335 cal |
Muay Thai Kickboxing originated in Thailand and makes use of stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques345 cal |
Slice of Plain Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory315 cal |
Hit the stairs at a moderate pace272 cal |
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a self defense system that focuses on grappling and ground fighting354 cal |
Average slice of cheese pizza272 cal **New York style pizzas can reach 400 calories per slice! |
Calisthenics. Think high school fit test—jumping jacks, lunges, crunches, etc.247 cal |
Tae Kwon Do is a martial art form that combines combat techniques, self-defense, and in some cases meditation and philosophy355 cal |
Dark and Stormy241 cal |
Go for a jog in Central Park. But wait! It’s dark and stormy out…218 cal |
NYPD’s Tactical Training Unit has adopted Krav Maga, the Israeli self defense system, and they’re in pretty good shape352 cal |
Did we mention Vimbly offers all of these classes? Some are even FREE.
References
http://www.livestrong.com/
http://sparkpeople.com/
http://www.mycaloriesburned.com/
http://calorielab.com/burned/
http://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2008/sports/
http://faculty.css.edu/tboone2/asep/EbbenJEPonlineOctober2008.pdf
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_4_25/ai_100751497/
*Statistic based on an average of seven traditional workout methods and seven martial arts.
Picture credit: http://martialsmarts.com/how-to-visit-a-martial-arts-school/