How Women Can Benefit From Jiu Jitsu

Gracie Barra believes that women should be a part of a great movement known to all as Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone! While commonly misconstrued as a male-dominated art, Gracie Barra aims to bridge the gap and relieve the world of the mindset that “Jiu-Jitsu (and martial arts in general) is only for the guys.”

There is a slow but steady climb in the following for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by women. The appeal of BJJ to women has recently seen an overwhelming number of interest from women for the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. There is also a strong link between exercise, stress, sleep, and work. Truly, women who are involved in active sports like Jiu-Jitsu will see many benefits.

With an increasing number of Female Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champions, a lot of women are taking interest in the art that started out in the Gracie family. Here are some of the few basic and practical reasons how women can benefit from practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And yes, you get to wear a pink-colored Gi. =)

Less Abdominal Cramps During Painful Menstrual Periods

Dysmenorrhea, or commonly known as those abdominal cramps that occurs every time a woman gets her period. Mostly this is characterized by extreme pain ranging from 3 to 6 in the pain scale. Almost half of the women experience these symptoms, while a small group experience incapacitating pain.

The good news is great exercise has been known to significantly reduce the amount of pain felt during episodes of Dysmenorrhea. Proper and regular exercise is known to reduce the amount of estrogen concentration in the blood which known to be the cause of the symptoms. The stretching of leg muscles can increase the cramps experienced during menstrual period, as proven by doctors.

What other great exercises is there than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?!

Women Need to Learn to Defend Themselves

There is a long standing notion by some members of society that women are weak. This thinking is backwards, and false, and is certainly incorrect on many levels. Women are not weak individuals; however society has falsely etched the stigma on women. In the United States alone, an alarming 1 in every 6 women has been sexually assaulted. This number is a conservative figure. Other sources suggest that 1 in every 4 women suffer assaults. Regardless of the number, it is also a woman’s responsibility to learn how to fend off their attackers. BJJ will teach you how to be aware of the situation, the basic anatomy of an attack to women, and how to properly disable attackers. Avoiding attacks and confrontations should always come first.

Jiu-Jitsu is a Great Stress Reliever

In an article released by the American Psychological Association, about women in the United States, it says that 8% more women are reported to be more stressed as opposed to their male counterparts. Married women also report having significantly higher stress levels than men leading a 33% mark compared to 22% for the singles group. Most commonly, stress results to obesity as 31% of women admit resulting to eating as a way to relieve their stress.

The Women’s Program in Gracie Barra offers a way to relieve stress. Meditation, Yoga and other great programs are available.

Sleep Better, Work Better

Stress can lead to insomnia. The numbers prove that women are more likely to suffer from stress, as an adverse effect sleep can also suffer. While the easiest way out is popping a sleeping pill, exercise and the right diet can easily improve one’s sleeping behaviors.

Work can be stressful, but endorphin’s can help in keeping you in a relaxed and relatively happier mood. The natural enzyme produced by the pituitary gland, once released, provides a feeling  of euphoria. There is a strong link between mood and work productivity. It is common knowledge that stressed out workers who are unable to compartmentalize are less likely to perform better at work.

Now that you know the many benefits that Jiu-Jitsu has to offer, sign up today for our Women’s Program and get started on your journey to a happier and healthier life today.

Yoga at WNY MMA & Fitness

Yoga is not only a method of exercise but also a lifestyle choice. This ancient Indian practice uses a combination of exercise, meditation and diet to improve your health, relax your body and heal your mind. While the benefits of yoga depend largely on your degree of involvement, practicing yoga for as little as 12 to 30 minutes each day is enough to benefit your health and mind.

Yoga Lifestyle

A complete yoga lifestyle incorporates 12 basic habits that correspond with many of its benefits. These habits, according to Wny mma & fitness include maintaining a positive attitude and close healthy relationships, including the relationship you have with yourself. Other yoga habits include staying in touch with nature, taking steps to remove tension and stress from your life and choosing an occupation that brings you joy. Finally, live a lifestyle that cultivates energy, get enough quality sleep and exercise, eliminate stress, follow a healthy diet and adopt eating habits that allow for better digestion and perform periodic detoxification that removes toxins and chemicals from your body.

Yoga Exercises and Postures

Yoga exercises include specific postures and poses that, depending on the exercise, benefit your overall health and well-being or target specific body processes. As an example, wny mma identifies the spinal roll, cobra, sun salutation, posterior stretch and corpse pose as five basic exercises that serve to increase muscle tone and benefit your digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems. Additional exercises such as the grip, kneeling pose and lion target your joints, increase blood circulation to specific body areas and, in the case of the lion exercise, can help relieve a sore throat.

Yoga Breathing

The controlled breathing techniques of yoga teach you methods of deep breathing that generally serve to deliver increased amounts of oxygen to all parts of your body as well as help eliminate waste and toxins. Specific techniques such as the good posture technique, cleansing breath and Taoist relaxation technique provide specific benefits that include correcting stooped shoulders, ventilating your lungs and extending the relaxation effects of other breathing techniques.

Health and Wellness Benefits

Four major benefits can be achieved by consistent participation in yoga exercise. These include stress reduction, increased body fitness, an increased ability to manage chronic health conditions such as depression, anxiety, pain and fatigue, and help in making lifestyle changes necessary to maintain a healthy weight.

Considerations

Although practicing yoga on a daily basis provides numerous health and wellness benefits to most people, check with your doctor or healthcare provider before beginning a yoga exercise or lifestyle program. Yoga can cause complications if you have difficulty with balance, have any artificial joints, are pregnant or have a condition such as severe osteoporosis, uncontrolled high blood pressure or glaucoma.