Health

Nearly everyone in the world has, at some point in their lifetime, played or at least watched some sport, be it football, basketball, tennis, baseball, etc. Why is it that humans find the idea of sports so appealing? To answer that question, we must look at what sports bring to the table.   Helps you reach your fitness goals One of the many reasons people choose sports is that it helps keep their bodies in shape. It has numerous health benefits, such as Lowering the risks of heart diseases. The human heart is one of the body's most hardworking muscles, and it must be regularly worked out to function correctly. Improving the flexibility of joints. The flexibility of joints is improved as the bones and muscles become more robust. This makes a person less injury prone. Lowering bad and increasing good cholesterol levels. Contrary to popular belief, not all cholesterol is bad; your body needs a certain amount of "good" cholesterol (HDL) to function correctly. Exercising regularly or playing sports can help you achieve that balance. Improving sleep cycles. Having a good night's sleep is responsible for deciding your mood for the day, and leading an active lifestyle can help you capitalize on the benefits of a healthy sleep cycle. Keeping a healthy weight. One of the benefits of sports that everyone wants to cash in on is a healthy outlook on the body, and with just a few hours every day, you'll be able to achieve the look you desire.   People who play sports tend to lead longer, healthier lives, which is no coincidence. If you keep your body active, then it will repay you. Improves your self-esteem Every sport, whether it is football, basketball, martial arts, or any other, requires one thing, and that is discipline. Sports teach us endurance and the ability to move forward after taking a fall. These are some of the most challenging life lessons, and playing sports helps us take these challenges head-on and prepare ourselves for what life has to throw at us. Facing these challenges by engaging ourselves in sports improves our mental toughness and allows us to reflect on the challenges we overcame. Doing this does wonder for our self-esteem, and we can become better versions of ourselves.   Improves your mental health Better self-esteem means your mental health is significantly improved, and if you start playing sports, you will notice that your mood is improved, and you'll find yourself more relaxed. This is because physical activity causes your brain to release endorphins, a chemical that relieves the built-up stress in your muscles and causes your brain to be less tense. This is why many therapists recommend their patients to exercise, as it is a much healthier way to reduce stress than antidepressants.   In Conclusion Sports have existed and thrived for centuries, and for a good reason. They offer countless benefits, including but not limited to improving your physical health, boosting your mental health, and helping you socialize. Sports can be a pathway to a happier and healthier life if you make the right choice. So what are you waiting for?

University is not all about attending classes, taking lectures, maintaining attendance, and giving exams! Instead, it is a massive space of new experience, some real-time learning, and keeping your mental health stable. Enrolling yourself as a member of a sports club can help you manage your social life and your study life. Here, we will discuss why you should be joining some sports community and what benefits it can bring you.   Expand your social circle. If you are a socially extroverted person, then a sports club is the best fit for you. It will help you meet new people, interact with them and make new friends. Even if you're introverted, the interaction will help you improve your communication skills and reduce your hesitation toward new people.   Help maintain your mental health. Sports are an excellent source of keeping your mind healthy and fresh. Joining a sports community and actively participating in different games can keep your brain active, leading to better performance in other tasks.   Help you stay physically fit. Enrolling in a sports club allows you to participate in various games, sports, and activities. This can help you strengthen your muscles, reduce your chances of injury, keep your heart rate up, and keep your body active.   Improve your soft skills. As a sports club member, you will get to interact with new people and perform different tasks. This interaction and collaboration will help you improve your overall skills, including leadership, teamwork, task management, better communication, and increased confidence and self-esteem.   Enhance your CV. In the modern era, companies and firms prefer candidates with more skills and experience rather than having a solid educational history. Therefore, as a member of a sports community, you can enhance your CV by adding more social experience and soft skills to it.   Manage your studies more effectively. If you only surround yourself with the tension of studies, never-ending exams, and assignments, your brain is more likely to get exhausted. To perform better in studies, your brain must be fresh and active. By being a sports club member, your mind will stay active and healthy so you can easily manage your studies and even get good grades.   Be a representative or an ambassador. As a member of the sports community, you can get a chance to represent your educational institute at different levels. This can lead to an excellent personal impression in society and an improved reputation for your educational institute.  In this fast-paced world, it can be tough to focus on yourself and manage your physical and mental health. Joining a sports community can surely do the task for you. A sports community will work as your completely unpaid assistant and keep an eye on your health. You would only be able to work if you are mentally and physically fit.  So stop overthinking and enroll right away in the best sports club in your area!

As mentioned earlier, stretches in taekwondo have to target certain muscle groups in your body so as to increase your flexibility. The following target taekwondo stretches will give you an idea of how to do your stretches.   1. Achilles Tendon Stretch To begin with, it is important to understand where the Achilles tendon is located and what it is. This is the tendon that runs from your lower back, to the muscles in your calf and down to your heel bone. This tendon contracts during a powerful move such as a round kick. It is important therefore to protect this tendon from injury by stretching. How To Stretch It With both arms touching the wall or a sturdy object, lean forward. The hands should be shoulder width apart. Next, extend your right foot backwards and have a 90 degree bend on your left foot ensuring that the heel is firmly placed on the ground. Lean forward into the wall until you feel that your back and leg muscles are being stretched. In order to make the stretch deeper, you can sink down with your hips slowly. Half a minute should be enough to hold this stretch before changing sides.                                 2. Ankle Stretch Taekwondo involves a lot of turning and spinning and this requires that you work on the flexibility of your ankles so as to improve your technique of kicking. How To Stretch It The ankle stretch is very simple. Simply lie down on your back with your knees straight. Move your ankle such that you can comfortably push your foot forward. Try as much as possible to keep the knees straight when dong this stretch. Continue pushing your foot forward until you feel you cannot push anymore. Hold the position for about 15 seconds before releasing and going back to your neutral position. This procedure should be done in ten repetitions. This kind of ankle stretching is known as the plantar flexion.                                  3. Back Stretches There are two popular ways in which you can stretch your back after and before your taekwondo work out: cat stretch and child's pose. Cat Stretch This is a very simple way of stretching your back. Simply get down on your hands and knees. Just as the name suggests, you will have to arch your back up as far as possible towards the ceiling just like a cat. Hold this position for about 15 seconds and get back down. Do this at least ten times.                                  Child's Pose This pose will not only stretch your back but it will also help you to stretch your ankles, thighs and hips. This position requires you to get down on your hands and knees on the floor. Spread your knees and ensure that your toes touch. Sit down on your heels and lean forward, ensuring that your belly rests in between your thighs. Stretch your arms as far in front and hold the stretch for fifteen seconds. This move should be repeated at least ten times.                                   4. Calf Stretches It's very easy to tear your calf muscles during training. The following technique will help you to stretch it out before and after a training session. How To Stretch It Stretching your calf muscles is similar to doing the Achilles tendon stretch. You have to stand at arm's length from the wall and put your hands on it. Lean forward stretching your right foot as far back as you can with a 90 degree bend in your left foot until you feel your calf muscles stretch out. Hold the pose for about thirty seconds before switching legs. Note that the foot extended backward should be straight with no bend at the knee. The stretch can be deepened by sinking deeper with your hips.                                   5. Hamstring Stretch Having heard about all the horror stories of people tearing at their hamstrings when doing an axe kick or any other movement during the taekwondo training sessions, the following are some of the stretches that you can do. Touch Your Toes This is a very simple stretch to do. To begin, stand with your legs crossed while ensuring that your feet are touching. Keeping your rear knee straight, bend over and reach for your feet. Hold this position for about 30 seconds before switching feet.   Lying Down This is also another technique that you can use to stretch your hamstrings. To begin, lie on your back with both knees straight on the floor. Raise your right leg and straighten it until you feel that the back of your thigh is stretching. Ensure that there is a slight bend on your left leg. Hold this pose for thirty seconds before switching legs.                                  6. Chest Stretches Chest stretches are very important because the taekwondo training sessions will require you to throw powerful punches, blocks, etc. If you injure your chest, chances are that you will have to sit it out for a while until you can be able to train again. If you are preparing for a tournament, this is a risk you would not want to take. How To Stretch It With your palms facing up, clasp your hands behind your back. Pressing your shoulder blades together, pull your hands down and stick out your chest as far out as you can. Hold this position for about twenty seconds.                                PREVIOUS PAGE |  NEXT PAGE

In taekwondo there are basically three kinds of stretches that you can do. You can perform one of them every day or you can combine all of them. When you combine all of them before and after a training session, you obviously stand to gain a lot more out of the stretches.   1. Dynamic Stretching This kind of stretching is especially useful when it comes to kicking and gaining height. This kind of stretching involves lengthening of the muscles and the tendons while at the same time incorporating some movements. An example would be to swing your leg like you are doing an axe kick. Lift the leg as high as possible until you encounter a certain amount of resistance.                                 2. Relaxed stretching This is probably the most popular and most known kind of stretching. This kind of stretching is best done after stretching. It simply involves stretching the target muscles until you feel you have hit tension. Release the muscle and continue with stretching. Most people time themselves when doing this kind of stretch. The best way to go about it is to just stretch until you feel that you have reached your limit, instead of timing yourself.                                   3. Isometric stretching This kind of stretching is similar to relaxed stretching but there are certain differences. When you are doing the isometric stretch, you should tighten the target muscles and then release once you feel you have reached maximum tension. Your muscles will feel loose and relaxed and you can stretch some more. Repeat this procedure until you feel you cannot stretch anymore.                                 PREVIOUS PAGE |  NEXT PAGE

As mentioned earlier, stretching is an essential part of your taekwondo training. However, it is important to show its importance in your training. The following are some of the benefits of taekwondo stretching:   1. It will help you to increase your flexibility In taekwondo you need to be flexible enough to do your axe kicks, round kicks, etc. You also need to be flexible to kick high up without tearing your hamstrings or causing other soft tissue injuries. Flexibility can be defined as the length to which your muscles can stretch. When you stretch, you lengthen your muscles thus enabling you to do a variety of movements without straining your ligaments.                                 2. It helps you to improve the circulation of blood After a very intense taekwondo work out, you muscles need time to repair. They require sufficient blood flow in order to hasten the repair process. This can be achieved by stretching your muscles every day. Not only does an increase in blood flow to the muscles hasten the repair process but it also helps to nourish them and helps to get rid of toxins.   3. It will help you to improve coordination and balance As mentioned earlier, when you stretch you increase flexibility. When you acquire flexibility, you will be at a better position to improve your coordination and balance. This reduces your chances of falling and getting injured during training.   4. It helps to reduce lower back pain The main cause of lower back pain is tight and stiff muscles in the buttocks, hips, hamstrings and lower back. Stretching allows the muscles to become more flexible and thus helps to alleviate the pain.   5. It helps to improve your cardiovascular health Studies show that when you stretch, you lower blood pressure by improving the function of your arteries. PREVIOUS PAGE  |  NEXT PAGE

Introduction To Taekwondo Stretching If you are studying or thinking of taking up a taekwondo class, it is important to know that stretching is an integral part of your routine becuse it reduces the risk of injuries. It should not be done like a warm up where you only do it before and after training; it should be done three to four times a week whether you go for your classes or not. Stretching should be done a minimum of half an hour. Experts recommend that you perform your stretching routine everyday especially if you incorporate weight training into your exercise. This will allow your muscles a chance to repair themselves. When doing your stretches, do not push your body beyond its limits; if it hurts do not continue. The aim is to improve flexibility and not to inflict pain to your body.                               PREVIOUS PAGE  |  NEXT PAGE

We have looked at the importance of meditation and some of the meditation techniques used by taekwondo practitioners. However, it is important to also learn some of the useful tips that can help you to begin your meditation.   1. Your Posture Your posture has to be perfect. Your spine should be straight and your shoulders relaxed. Meditation is all about connecting the mind and the body. If your body is properly balanced, your mind will also be balanced. In order to ensure that your back is always straight all the time, just imagine that your head is touching the sky at all times.   2. Your eyes Many people find that they drift away in thought when they close their eyes. It is therefore advised that you keep your eyes open when meditating. You can simply lower your gaze. However, if you find that meditating with your eyes closed is more effective, then it is okay to close them when meditating.                                 3. Your breath Breathing is an important factor in meditation therefore you should concentrate on how you steam it in and out. You should not control it; just let it be natural. This will help you to stay in the present and not drift away.   4. Your thoughts If you find that thoughts are creeping into your mind when you are meditating, gently let them go by focusing on your breathing. If you try and block thoughts, you will become agitated. The best way to deal with thoughts is to imagine they are unwelcome visitors in your home and you are asking them to leave.   5. Your emotions If you have strong emotions in your mind, you will find it hard to get into mediation mode. This is because strong emotions will make you drift away by bringing in thoughts and stories to your mind. Emotions such as anger, fear, envy, etc. all bring stories to your mind. The best way to deal with these emotions is to focus on the feelings of the body. For instance, if you feel a tight knot in your chest that is caused by anger or betrayal, you should focus on that part of your body instead of becoming entangled in the stories. This is meant to create a flow of energy throughout your entire body and will help you to honor the emotions that you feel, instead of getting entangled in thoughts.   6. Your length If you feel you cannot do a two hour meditation, then you should not do it. The amount of time that you take to meditate should be within your own comfort zone. If you feel like ten minutes is enough then this is what you should do.   7. Your silence Some people prefer to listen to "meditation music" while others prefer complete silence. Some people believe that silence has healing power. When you sit in silence, you will be able to focus on what your mind is doing. It gives you inner peace and lets your mind rest. PREVIOUS PAGE  |  NEXT PAGE

In order for a practitioner to reach their full potential, they have to be able to know a few techniques that they can use to reach it. The following are some of the techniques that they can use:   1. Sitting posture The Tai Chi method of meditation involves a number of sitting postures. The aim of these different postures is to be able to maintain the energy flow in the body and also to be able to align the body. The Shuang-pan position is an example of one of the sitting positions used in Tai Chi. This position is performed by sitting down on the ground and crossing the legs. The alternate feet should rest on your thighs while placing both your palms on the soles of your feet. Your shoulders should be dropped with your back straight up. If you feel sitting on the ground is a bit uncomfortable, you can use a pillow. This position allows you to be able to complete the connection of pathways of chi to your body.                                 2. The standing posture This is another technique for meditation in taekwondo. It is a very popular way of helping one to centre and ground the self. An example of this kind of meditation would be the Wu Ji posture. This posture will require you to stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your toes pointing straight ahead. Your knees should also be slightly bent and relaxed. Instead of collapsing your knees inward, push them slightly outward. With your hands hanging loosely at the sides, let your shoulders drop and straighten your back. Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose, slowly and deeply.                                 3. Breathing Breathing is a very essential part of martial arts, including taekwondo. It is used to give the practitioners full benefits of every meditation posture. The breathing technique incorporates abdominal exhalation. Exhalation periods usually lasts longer than inhalation ones. The purpose of this kind of breathing is to circulate energy throughout your body. Experts believe that energy is meant to flow in a circular manner throughout your body. That is, it should flow from the top of your head, to the soles of your feet and back to your head. The excess energy is stored below your navel. This breathing meditation also encourages the students to focus on circulating their energy throughout their body and also to feel it as it moves through the body.                                 4. Discipline and self control meditation Meditation in taekwondo also helps the mind to get rid of negative energy and thoughts that might thwart the chances of you winning a match. This kind of meditation helps the student to become aware of negative energy within the mind such as envy or anger. This kind of observation is also good in helping the student to become more disciplined and focused. Practitioners use this technique by concentrating on thoughts which are immovable and breathing in deeply while sitting or standing.                                   5. No mind This is a method of meditation where the practitioner perceives there is no opponent. Instead, they focus on themselves as the opponent and try to perceive which moves are going to be made even before they are. This kind of meditation is known as Bunkai. It is part of the Zen meditation techniques which involve emptying the mind of any thoughts. It is the kind of meditation used by practitioners to achieve discipline and patience.                                 PREVIOUS PAGE  |  NEXT PAGE

There are many reasons as to why relaxation and meditation is used in taekwondo. However, many experts believe that this particular martial art does not really emphasize the use of meditation and relaxation. Regardless of the belief, the following are some of the reasons as to why relaxation and meditation is important in taekwondo:   1. It helps to improve sleep patterns Taekwondo involves a lot of physical activity. Students have to learn how to spar; they have to do strength training, among other things. Health experts believe that the brain is more active at night after an intense physical activity during the day. This might interfere with sleeping patterns and result in the student being moody and emotional the following day. Through meditation and relaxation, the student is able to relax the mind and have peaceful, regular sleep patterns.                                 2. Improves performance When preparing for a fight, the fighter has to be able to make clear judgment of their opponent without being guided by emotions. Taekwondo requires the fighter to respond quickly to their opponents attack or defense without wasting too much time. Through meditation and relaxation, the fighter is able to make correct judgments and improve their overall performance in the tournaments.   3. It helps in training In taekwondo there are many different patterns to learn and mastering them is not easy. It takes time and constant practice to be able to master each pattern. Many students may find themselves getting frustrated as they advance from one level to the next because the patterns become more complicated and difficult to properly execute. Frustration usually evokes our minds to "give up". With a relaxed and calm mind, a student will be able to practice, without giving up, until they can be able to perfect their technique.   4. Helps to deal with pain Pain is another factor that taekwondo students have to deal with. The pain of strength training, the pain of being hit, etc. are all some of the things that a taekwondo practitioner may face every day when they are training. Students are expected to work past the pain and maintain a conscious calculating mind. This is not something that is easy to achieve but with time, it becomes easy. PREVIOUS PAGE  |  NEXT PAGE

Introduction to Relaxation and Meditation In Taekwondo Relaxation and meditation in taekwondo helps us to improve our mental well being and to gain control over our stress levels. As mentioned earlier in the previous chapters, taekwondo borrows some techniques from other martial arts. For instance, it was discussed that some of the techniques used in self defense training may be borrowed from other kinds of martial arts such as Kung-Fu, Karate, etc.   Similarly, there are some mediation techniques which are common among martial arts practitioners. For instance, practitioners may choose to use tai chi, which is a form of meditation for Chinese martial arts. Regardless of which kind of meditation technique that a taekwondo practitioner chooses, each one of them has a significant role.                               PREVIOUS PAGE  |  NEXT PAGE

Taekwondo is a form of martial arts that involves intense physical activity. However it comes with a lot of benefits. It improves physical fitness. This is due to the fact that there is a lot of strength training involved as well as cardio. This will improve your overall health and will help you to keep your weight in check. It is a lot of fun. When you join the taekwondo classes, you will get to meet many people whom you will interact with. The friendly fights are a good way of forming acquaintances as well as improving on your skill. You will be able to acquire an increased sense of self-confidence and self-esteem. You will no longer shy away from physical activities because you feel you cannot handle them. In addition, due to the fact that your body will become lean and toned, you will have a positive self image. Taekwondo teaches you self-defence and therefore you will be confident enough to fight off your attackers if faced with a dangerous situation. This technique of self-defence is especially useful to women and children since they are mainly targeted because they are believed to be weak and helpless. Taekwondo also demands great discipline. It will help you to build your character and will ultimately help you to cope with different situations that you may face in life. It promotes mental health by helping you to let off steam in a positive manner. When you enroll for the taekwondo classes, the kicking and punching will help you to relieve any built up anger and stress.                              PREVIOUS PAGE  |  NEXT PAGE