{"id":2432,"date":"2022-10-05T17:19:21","date_gmt":"2022-10-05T17:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.njtraininggrounds.com\/bjj-in-nj\/?p=2432"},"modified":"2023-04-10T07:52:53","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T07:52:53","slug":"are-martial-arts-good-for-kids-with-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.njtraininggrounds.com\/bjj-in-nj\/are-martial-arts-good-for-kids-with-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Martial Arts Good For Kids With Anxiety (5 Important Facts)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Martial arts are often linked with relieving anxiety. So, many parents ask the question, \u201care martial arts good for kids with anxiety?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Physical exercise, an outlet to release pent-up energy, focusing on the present, confidence, and a supportive community can help kids cope with anxiety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/b><\/p>\n

This discussion aims to answer this question by outlining the benefits of practicing martial arts for kids with anxiety. Let\u2019s start the discussion with what anxiety is and how to know when a child is experiencing it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is anxiety?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Are<\/p>\n

The <\/span>American Psychological Association<\/span><\/a> (APA) says, \u201c<\/span>anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure<\/span><\/i>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Know that it is normal to feel some anxiety. For example, it is normal to have \u201cworried thoughts\u201d or \u201cfeelings of tension\u201d before a test, a doctor\u2019s appointment, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

It becomes a problem when the duration or the severity of the \u201cworried thoughts\u201d or \u201cfeelings of tension\u201d is out of proportion to the original stressor (what triggered the feelings). Such prolonged or excessive \u201cworried thoughts\u201d may come with physical symptoms like sweating, trembling, dizziness, or a rapid heartbeat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once anxiety reaches this stage, it becomes a condition that can interfere with day-to-day activities. The condition is \u201canxiety disorder.\u201d Interestingly, people have \u201canxiety disorder\u201d in mind when they talk about anxiety<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States, affecting more than 40 million people. Worryingly, over <\/span>9% of children between 3 and 17 (approximately 9.8 million) have an anxiety disorder<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sings that a kid is experiencing anxiety<\/span><\/h3>\n

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<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n