Martial Arts: The Best Activity for Your Kid in WInter

Winter rolls around each year calling an end to many of the outdoor activities that occupy our kids for much of the year. Gone are those carefree days and long summer evenings

So, what to do? Our kids aren’t bears, so hibernation is out of the question.

Luckily, the Martial Arts provide the perfect activity for your kids to enjoy all year round, but especially during the winter months.

Here are just a few reasons why.

The Convenience of the Indoors

Whether we are talking about grappling arts, such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, and Judo, or striking arts, such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, or Karate, Martial Arts classes generally take place indoors – so you won’t have to worry about class cancellations scuppering your arrangements on the day.

Mood Elevation

We all know life feels easier when the weather is good. Summer puts a step in our walk and a smile on our face. But what about the less pleasant weather of winter?

The shorter daylight hours and colder temperatures can play havoc with our mood and our overall sense of well-being.

Fortunately, vigorous exercise, such as that provided by training in the Martial Arts, has been shown time and again to increase energy levels as well as our ability to focus, and it even improves the quality of our sleep too.

All this helps your child avoid those dreaded Wintertime Blues.

Problem-solving Practice

The Martial Arts will provide all the physical exercise your growing kid requires.

Not only that, skills-based activities, such as the Martial Arts, provide mental stimulation too.

The Martial Arts require adaptation and problem-solving on the part of the participant – strategies that will stand them in good stead in other aspects of their life, far beyond the walls of the gym, dojo, or academy.

Instils Discipline

Often, when people think of the Martial Arts they think of two people squaring off from each other on the mats or in the ring.

But, in reality, your chief opponent in the Martial Arts is yourself.

The Martial Arts provide us with a unique gift. They ask us to strive to overcome our own limitations, whether physical or mental.

The self-discipline our children develop when training will prove invaluable to them, in all aspects of their lives, in years to come.

Confidence

Of all the gifts that the Martial Arts give us, the development of real self-confidence is perhaps the greatest.

We aren’t talking a boastful, overblown ego-based pride here. But, the real, grounded confidence that only comes from trying difficult things and continuing to try even in the face of repeated failures.

In sticking at it in the face of hardship, your child will learn to overcome their fears and anxieties. They will develop the necessary faith in their own abilities that is required to develop true self-confidence.

Winter is Coming…

So, as those long nights draw in, and the mercury plummets, take a look to the Martial Arts to provide that perfect activity to keep your child engaged, both physically and mentally.

Not only will your child develop the self-confidence and discipline that comes with learning to defend themselves, but they will develop health-boosting habits to ensure their continuing development on the road to becoming a balanced and productive adult.