How to Get More Sleep and Boost Your Kickboxing Results

2014-11-08 Get More Sleep Kickboxing Blog

Have you noticed that you’re not losing as much weight as you should be, even though you’re regularly taking kickboxing classes and eating right? It could be that you’re not getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep can interfere with weight loss, because your body needs time to recharge and break down toxins. If you want to boost your kickboxing results, here are a few ways to get some beauty sleep:

  1. Avoid using electronic devices an hour before bedtime

People who use their computers or smartphones before bedtime not only sleep fewer hours, but experience lower quality of sleep. Poor sleep quality can also lead to an increase in obesity and lack of energy during the day, which means you might have less energy to give it your all during kickxboxing. To avoid these negative consequences, try limiting your computer use before bedtime and instead read a book to relax your body and mind.

  1. Keep your room at optimum sleep temperature

According to studies, the optimal temperature for sleep is around 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a warmer core body temperature, it can lead to heightened arousal and affect your ability to fall asleep. Since temperature above or below this range can cause restlessness, you should try to recreate this optimal temperature. For those who have trouble falling asleep, try placing a hot water bottle at the feet in a cool room. Since the hot water bottle helps to dilate blood vessels and lower core temperature, this can help to regulate your internal thermostat.

  1. Get to bed at the right time to maximize your sleep benefits

Other than regulating your body temperature, you should try to get to bed as early as possible, since your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Your gallbladder also dumps toxins during this period of time, so if you are awake, the toxins will back up into your liver and further disrupt your health.

Some people often overlook the importance of sleep and work after an intense workout – although kickboxing can help you take on more tone, muscle definition and strengthen your core, you won’t be able to lose weight unless you get a good night’s sleep. Don’t forget to treat your body like a temple after putting it to work!

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What Age is Good to Start Learning Karate?

2014-11-09 Karate What Age Blog

 

As a parent, you’re probably wondering what age your child should start learning karate. Some parents want to expose their children to the benefits of karate as soon as possible, but children that are too young may not be physically or mentally ready yet to learn the art of martial arts. At Urban Martial Arts, we believe that age 4 is the suitable age for children to start learning karate, since children younger than this haven’t yet developed the focus and self-control needed to get through an entire class. Even within the same age group, children tend to mature and develop at different speeds. Here are some factors to determine whether your child is ready to become a karate kid:

1) Is your child independent enough to participate in the class without you by their side?

Some karate schools may offer “family” classes where children and parents can train together, but at Urban Martial Arts we believe that children can only fully reap the benefits of karate if they start off by learning independently. Parents can watch from the side and provide support during the classes, but if your child cannot leave your side for the duration of a class and is heavily dependent on you, they may not be ready yet to learn karate. Since karate classes tend to be in a group setting, your child also has to be comfortable around people they don’t know to get through a class.

2) Can your child focus on one task for at least 2-3 minutes at a time?

Although karate classes for young children are designed to be very fast-paced with multiple short segments, your child needs to have a minimal level of concentration to get through each segment. Each segment tends to last for 2-3 minutes – if your child can provide 100% attention span within this period of time, they’re off to a good start. Parents may want their children to learn self-defense and discipline as early as possible, but classes for this age group tend to be more focused on co-ordination and fun to cater to their young age.

3) Is your child willing or able to control their body most of the time?

Learning karate can help children build focus and self-control, but they also need a minimum amount of these two factors to start off with. If your child lacks self-control from the beginning, they may have trouble developing these two assets as they get older. Other than self-control, children who have developed age-appropriate manners tend to be more suitable students for karate classes. For example, if they can follow instructions, listen to the instructor and avoid distracting the other students, they’ll be able to get through a karate class with no trouble at all.

If you’re still unsure whether your child is physically and mentally ready to learn karate, the best way to find out is to try out a class in person. Since most martial arts schools offer free or low-cost trial classes, karate instructors can observe your child’s performance in the trial class and evaluate whether they’re ready to start learning karate.

 

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Don’t stop when it hurts. Stop when you’re done.

Don't Stop When It Hurts Stop When You're Done

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Urban Martial Arts Reviews: Michelle on Kickboxing

Urban Martial Arts Reviews Michelle

What do members think of our Fitness Kickboxing program? Here’s Michelle on why she loves training at Urban Martial Arts:

“Love this place! Kickboxing classes are great. Staff is friendly, kind, family atmosphere. So glad I found them!!”
-Michelle F.

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Are You Guilty of This Killer Kickboxing Mistake?

Are You Guilty of This Killer Kickboxing Mistake?

Kickboxing class is a great way to keep fit. You burn over 800 calories per class and work out muscles from all the core muscle groups.

But there is one mistake you may be making that will ensure you do not see as may benefits as you should. This killer mistake stunts your weight loss progress and robs you of the full benefits that kickboxing offers.

What’s this kickboxing mistake? Not eating before you go to class.

If you are taking kickboxing class on an empty stomach, please, STOP.

1. Why you should eat before kickboxing class

According to researchers, when you work out on an empty stomach, what you’re doing is losing the muscle you already have instead of building more muscles. This is bad for you because your muscle mass affects your metabolism. The less muscle you have, the lower your metabolism will be, which makes it harder to lose weight.

Another reason why you should eat something before kickboxing class is to ensure that you actually have fuel to burn during the class. Without enough energy to turn up the intensity, you’ll burn fewer calories, which defeats the purpose of working out in the first place.

2. When you should eat before kickboxing class

While it is important that you eat before your kickboxing class, you do not want to eat immediately before the class as this might leave you feeling bloated and heavy, unable to carry out your activities.

To ensure you have enough fuel to burn, have a small snack 30 to 60 minutes before kickboxing class.

It is important to make sure you don’t have a full meal just before working out because that could leave you feeling bloated and nauseous. Your last large meal should be at least 2 hours before class so that you give the food time to digest and still have enough fuel for the class.

3. What you should eat before kickboxing class

Diet is a crucial part of your health plan, so what you eat before going for your kickboxing class is of vital importance.

You should eat a lot more protein. Proteins contain amino acids, which are very useful for building your muscles. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism is, meaning you burn more calories even when you are not working out. Protein, therefore, should be a major part of your diet.

Lean proteins like chicken breast, ground turkey, and strip steak are great for you and will make an excellent addition to your diet.

Another crucial addition to your diet should be fat. Yes, we said fat.

Fat keeps you feeling full for a long time and comes with a lot of health benefits. But, because fat is easier than most food classes to retain in the body, you should limit the amount of fat you take to 20% to 30% of your daily calorie intake.

Focus on healthy fats like avocados, nuts, olive oil, peanut butter, salmon, and flaxseed oil.

Diet is perhaps the most crucial part of your weight loss process. Your diet contributes 70% to the weight loss process whereas exercise contributes a paltry 30%. So ensure you make the most of your kickboxing class by following the diet tips above.

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What You Do Today Can Improve All Your Tomorrows

What You Do Today Can Improve All Your Tomorrows

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Free After-School Programs in Brooklyn vs Paid: Which Are Better?

Free After-School Programs in Brooklyn

So you’ve decided to get your child into an after-school program and apparently, there are a lot more programs out there than you knew.

Now comes the question: Should you look into one of the free after-school programs in Brooklyn? Or should you apply for one where you pay for the service?

Of course the free after-school programs sound tempting because they’re easy on your budget. But there may be some downsides you haven’t considered.

Here are some things you probably did not know about free after-school programs:

1. There may be a long waiting list for a free after-school program
Free after-school programs are in high demand. Because of this, they usually have a long waiting list for those who qualify to join the program. In the meantime, your child has no after-school care so you’ll have to make alternative arrangements.

2. Activities are often limited within free after-school programs
Most free after-school programs offer little more than glorified babysitting and basic homework help. There may be some rudimentary activities like arts & crafts, but the programming will be very basic and the staff won’t have in-depth expertise.

3. Free programs are often shut down due to budget cuts
Free after-school programs are usually funded with a combination of government funds, non-profit grants, private donations, and subsidies through HRA vouchers or ACS vouchers. Far too often, these programs are on financially shaky foundations. Once one major source of funds gets cut, the entire after-school program shuts down and all the families it was serving are left without after-care coverage.

Paid after-school programs cost a little more, but they offer great value in return.

Here is a list of some of the ways your family will benefit from in a paid after-school program:

1. You don’t have to put your entire financial life on display
To qualify for a free after-school program, you usually have to meet stringent household income requirements. The qualification process can be intrusive, requiring you to submit things like paystubs, tax returns, and child support paperwork. Basically, you have to put your whole financial life on display. After doing all that, you still may not qualify for the free after-school program! Paid after-school programs do not require such an intrusive application. You get to keep your private information private.

2. Your child can learn a new skill in an in-depth way
Unlike many free programs which are very generalist and basic, paid programs offer specialized training in specific areas. In Urban Martial Arts’ karate after-school program, for example, the karate classes are taught by a 5th-degree black belt professional instructor.

3. Paid after-school programs are built to last
Unlike free after-school programs, which are heavily dependent on outside funding, paid programs are structured to be financially self-sufficient. The teams running these programs know how to balance a budget and maintain financial solvency. You won’t have to worry about a program being shut down because of a sudden policy change from City Hall.

In summary, there are some downsides to free after-school programs that you may not have considered. Paid after-school programs allow you to provide your child with a quality program that helps them develop skills they’ll use for the rest of their life.

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After School Programs in BrooklynThe Urban Martial Arts Transported Karate After-School Program includes free school pick-up, a free karate uniform, a free T-shirt, karate classes, and plenty of time for homework and snacks.

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Your Only Limit Is You

Your Only Limit Is You

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Urban Martial Arts Review from Jenny: Kickboxing Classes

Jenny Testimonial

What do members think of our Fitness Kickboxing program? Here’s Jenny on why she loves training at Urban Martial Arts:

“Very fun and friendly environment, all instructors are highly qualified, each of them has different style of teaching, and I have never been bored with a routine, they change it class to class! First time when I came to this school I couldn’t do even one push-up, step by step now I can 50 push-ups!! YAY! I never ever thought i would like kickboxing… I LOVE IT! I became so much stronger! I’ve lost 15 pounds! and it’s a great stress relief for me! I totally recommend this school!”
-Jenny B.

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5 Ways Kickboxing Classes Help Relieve Your Stress

5 Ways Kickboxing Classes Help Relieve Your Stress

Managing a large amount of stress has become the norm in our society. You often hear people talking about how many responsibilities they are balancing, and how many different balls they’re trying to juggle at the same time.

But stress is very harmful to your health. It affects the way your body stores fat, your sleep patterns, and predisposes you to high blood pressure and so many other things.

You already know that kickboxing classes offer you a way to burn calories fast and keep your metabolism high. But did you know that you get a large dose of stress relief too?

Here’s how:

1. You’ll release endorphins

When you go through an intense kickboxing class, your body releases a type of hormone known as endorphins. This is basically a feel-good hormone that leaves you feeling great, improves your mood and gives you a feeling of achievement and euphoria. Stress blocks out the production of endorphins, leaving you craving fatty foods, which the body will not store properly. So kickboxing classes at Urban Martial Arts are a win-win: your body produces more endorphins, and you burn more calories.

2. You’ll build a coping mechanism

Kickboxing started out as a traditional martial arts with the goal of preparing the warrior’s spirit and mind. The only way to do this is to develop certain characteristics such as improving your decision making, calming your fears and projecting confidence. These are the very same skills you need to build a coping mechanism for stress. So by joining a kickboxing class at Urban Martial Arts, you are putting in place a mechanism that will ensure that your stress levels remain low.

3. Your sense of fear will become desensitized

Kickboxing classes at Urban Martial Arts often include non-contact partner drills. Although these are perfectly safe since we don’t do any actual sparring, you will need to confront your fear of getting hurt. This continued exposure is good because it allows you to deal with not just the fear that you see in the class but all your internalized fears which may be causing you stress. Stress is often produced when you are afraid that something bad will happen to you, even if the harm is imagined, mostly because you don’t feel able to defend yourself. Kickboxing class gives you the confidence to face those fears.

4. You’ll learn proper breathing technique

Sometimes, when we are in high stress moments, we forget how to breathe. This might lead to irregular breathing patterns that are not good for the body and contribute to your stress level as well as your health problems. One of the things you will learn at kickboxing class is how to regulate your breathing and breathe properly. This lesson will serve you not only in kickboxing class but also in life.

5. You’ll have more energy

After your first kickboxing class you may feel tired, but once you have become a regular you will begin to notice that at the end of the class you feel energized and on top of the world. This is because kickboxing class at Urban Martial Arts is increasing your energy and serotonin levels. This is probably one of the best stress relief available in the world today and it’s all-natural!

Kickboxing is a very effective way of losing weight and keeping fit. You burn up to 800 calories in each class and keep your metabolism high afterwards. But that’s not all, you also reduce your stress level and you take that everywhere you go. It truly is a win-win situation.

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