Anxiety alters how a person processes emotions and can make it difficult to get through the day. Make no mistake, kids also get anxious and stressed out. While adults may easily put up with these feelings, kids are less able to deal with anxious feelings. Thus, when kids struggle with anxiety, parents want to help them feel better.
Martial arts are often linked with relieving anxiety. So, many parents ask the question, “are martial arts good for kids with anxiety?”
Physical exercise, an outlet to release pent-up energy, focusing on the present, confidence, and a supportive community can help kids cope with anxiety.
Martial arts can be seen as a form of workout, provide an outlet to release pent-up emotions, help focus on the present, boost self-esteem and confidence, and provide a supportive community. These are all ways to cope with anxiety, so martial arts can help kids with anxiety.
This discussion aims to answer this question by outlining the benefits of practicing martial arts for kids with anxiety. Let’s start the discussion with what anxiety is and how to know when a child is experiencing it.
What is anxiety?
The American Psychological Association (APA) says, “anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”
Know that it is normal to feel some anxiety. For example, it is normal to have “worried thoughts” or “feelings of tension” before a test, a doctor’s appointment, etc.
It becomes a problem when the duration or the severity of the “worried thoughts” or “feelings of tension” is out of proportion to the original stressor (what triggered the feelings). Such prolonged or excessive “worried thoughts” may come with physical symptoms like sweating, trembling, dizziness, or a rapid heartbeat.
Once anxiety reaches this stage, it becomes a condition that can interfere with day-to-day activities. The condition is “anxiety disorder.” Interestingly, people have “anxiety disorder” in mind when they talk about anxiety.
Anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States, affecting more than 40 million people. Worryingly, over 9% of children between 3 and 17 (approximately 9.8 million) have an anxiety disorder.
Sings that a kid is experiencing anxiety
Kids are not the best at clearly verbalizing or communicating their feelings. So parents should look for signs that may indicate that their child is experiencing anxiety. These include:
- Lack of energy or feeling sick often
- Lack of desire to attend school or do things that previously excited
- Disruptive behavior
- Dwelling on previous negative experiences
- Lack of control or extreme anger
- Unexpected episodes of intense fear with symptoms like heart pounding, sweating, trembling, etc.
Benefits of practicing martial arts for kids with anxiety
Martial arts are ancient systems and traditions of combat of East Asian origin, which are practiced for different reasons, including physical and mental development.
Martial arts training involves consistent physical activity and mindfulness, which are some of the best ways to cope with anxiety. For this reason, martial arts are good for kids with anxiety.
The benefits of practicing martial arts for kids with anxiety include:
- A source of physical exercise
- Gives an outlet to work out anxiety
- Helps focus on the present
- Helps build self-esteem and confidence
- Provides a strong community for support
Fact #1: Martial art is a source of physical exercises
Physical exercises help cope with anxiety in two ways. First, it takes your mind off worries, breaking you from the negative thoughts that fuel anxiety. Secondly, it releases dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin, which are anxiety-busting feel-good hormones.
Practicing martial arts is a source of physical exercise. The practice involves planned, structured, and repetitive body movements that improve physical fitness. The physical activity of martial arts training leads to the release of anxiety-busting hormones, which makes kids feel good immediately.
Fact #2: Martial arts provide an outlet to work out anxiety
Pent-up emotions can give way to anxiety and can show up as quick-temper or anger.
Some effective ways to release pent-up emotions include screaming, kicking, and punching. Martial arts provide an outlet to do all of these healthily.
Executing many techniques in martial art involve yelling, punching, and kicking, giving kids a healthy environment to let out their frustrations and work out their anxiety.
Fact #3: Martial arts help focus on the moment
A leading cause of anxiety is worrying too much about something in the past or in the future. So, anything that helps you focus on the present and control your thoughts can help with anxiety. It’s why meditation is a good anxiety-buster.
Interestingly, martial arts can help people, including kids, focus on the moment and control their thoughts. In martial arts training, children do not learn fluid moves at once. Instead, they learn individual components of a move, one step at a time.
At each step of the process, the training teaches your child to focus on a singular element of a move, dedicating time and effort to master it. After mastering that element, they proceed to the next building block of the move. It teaches your child to concentrate on one thing at a time instead of worrying about what is to come.
Fact #4: Martial arts help build self-esteem and confidence
At its very heart, martial art is about overcoming difficult challenges.
When learning a martial arts technique, your child will go through different stages of development, from being a novice to being skilled at it. Seeing their skill development, children will be more confident in their ability to face challenges and successfully overcome them.
Children with low self-esteem are more likely to have an anxiety disorder. If children have a low opinion of themselves, they are more likely to be excessively worried when they face challenges.
As such, practicing martial arts is one of the best ways to build self-esteem in children towards overcoming anxiety.
Fact #5: Martial arts provide a strong community for support
Kids battling with anxiety often feel an overwhelming urge to be alone. However, being alone makes them ruminate on their worries, worsening the anxiety. On the other hand, a child is less likely to be lost in his/ her own thoughts when in the company of others. So, being with and interacting with people is one way to cope with anxiety.
Martial arts training provides a company of friends for meaningful association and interaction, helping children break loneliness and being lost in their thoughts.
In martial arts training, children must work together cooperatively to practice the moves, so your child will spend the majority of training time on cooperative training activities. This helps them make friends and develop interpersonal skills.
Which martial art is best for kids dealing with anxiety?
When thinking of the best martial art for your kid, consider options that give a good physical workout, offers a healthy outlet for pent-up anxiety, help focus on the moment, and build confidence.
Many options come to mind, but our top picks are:
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Muay Thai
- Karate
- MMA
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art based on grappling and submission holds. It focuses on taking an opponent to the ground and using chokeholds, joint locks, and other techniques to force them into submission.
Children will put all their muscles to work in BJJ training, so it gives a good workout. Children learn to focus on the moment and maneuver to avoid submissions. Then seeing their skills improve and moving up the ranking system will boost their confidence.
Interestingly, BJJ is one martial art without punches and kicks, so it has a low risk of injury, making it perfect for kids.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing, is based on striking (using fists, elbows, knees, and legs) and clinching techniques.
From learning the stances and footwork to the various attacking strikes, defenses, and clinches, Muay Thai will give your child a good physical workout and help them develop immense focus and concentration.
Karate
Karate, one of the world’s most popular martial arts, involves striking, kicking, and defensive blocks using the arms and legs.
The flashy high kicks of Karate will give the heart a good workout while improving mobility and flexibility. Karate requires and teaches a high level of focus while helping kids acquire physical abilities to become more confident in themselves.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
MMA, as its name suggests, incorporates techniques from other martial arts. So, it involves striking, grappling, ground fighting, and more.
With its array of techniques, practicing MMA involves using almost all the muscles in the body. Executing moves and defending requires immense concentration, which trains children to control their thoughts toward busting anxiety.
Limitations of martial arts as a way to cope with anxiety
Practicing martial arts can help kids cope with anxiety. However, the computer lingo “garbage in, garbage out” applies because the anxiety-busting result a child will get from martial art training depends on how much effort they put into the program.
Also, kids martial arts are not a substitute for mental health treatment. If the condition affects your kid’s ability to function, you should consider speaking with a licensed mental health professional.
Conclusion
An alarming number of kids battle anxiety disorder. The condition can affect a child’s ability to function, so parents should do everything to help kids battling it.
Martial arts training can help kids with anxiety. This is because it involves consistent physical activity (providing an outlet to release pent-up emotions) and other activities that help to focus on the present and boost confidence.
Training Grounds Jiu-Jitsu & MMA offers one of the best martial arts training. Want your child to overcome anxiety and reach his/ her potential? Our martial art programs can help. Find out how your child can start training today!
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