5 Things You Should Never Say To A Female MMA Fighter

“Punch her in the titties!” 

“Pull her top off and kiss her!” 

These are actual statements heard during my friend’s debut MMA bout. Sadly it’s not an isolated incident. It takes endless amounts of physical and mental prep in order to step in the cage, but many female fighters face stigma when competing. Training for a fight involves a minimum of training twice a day six days a week, healthy meal prepping, and no alcohol consumption or smoking. 

Many fighters do this while working and dealing with family obligations. When I’m in camp I’m balancing camp with working full-time as well as attending school full-time. It requires dedication and isn’t for the faint of heart, which is why the above statements are not only disrespectful, but infuriating.

I’ve been training and competing for over ten years. The adrenaline rush of being in the ring is a unique experience that not many ever encounter. I began training in Muay Thai in high school with my younger brother. We fought terribly as kids and my dad decided to put us into martial arts so we could channel that in a more positive manner. 

Black and blues are all in a day's training. 

Aside from my brother and me now being best friends, training has enriched my life in many other aspects. It has helped me not only physically, but mentally as well. It provides an amazing outlet for stress as well as gives me the courage to pursue other dreams. After being locked in a cage where someone is trying to beat you in front of a couple hundred people, it becomes tough to feel nervous. 

I truly believe everyone could benefit from martial arts, but if we keep treating women like they're just a sexy side to the "real" show, we are doing them a great disservice. Here are some of the most common phrases female fighters hear and why they’re bogus.

1) “But you’re too cute/pretty/beautiful to be a fighter.”

Ugh. 

This common statement made to female fighters is intended as a compliment, but frankly it’s obnoxious. You don’t see people telling Roger Huerta or GSP or any other of the gorgeous men in the MMA world that they are too pretty to fight. Insinuating that we’d be better off holding round cards strutting around the cage in a bikini rather than competing in it is a slap in the face to all the hard work we do. 

As to your concern about me ruining my pretty face, well that’s why I practice learning how to block and counter.

2) “So you like to fight? You must be really flexible and into rough sex.”

Now if you’re into rough sex and have a consenting partner, enjoy yourselves -- no judgement. However, this was said to me by a very drunk male acquaintance. Inappropriate doesn’t even begin to cover it. There are many reasons woman compete in martial arts, however last time I checked it wasn’t due to their very private sexual preferences. Any chance you had of seeing how flexible I am ended the minute that came out of your mouth buddy.

3) “Oh my God, doesn’t it hurt when you get hit?”

No. When we women get hit unlike our male counterparts in this sport it does not hurt. It feels like we are being hit by pillows, limb manipulation feels like a pleasant stretch, we never bleed, we never bruise and keep in mind we always look pretty while doing it. 

Of course it hurts. 

Soreness is the norm if you train often. It’s about learning to push past the pain and to become a better athlete. It takes heart to continue to train when you’re hurting, but that is what champions are made of.

4) “I can’t stand watching women fight.”

Society wants women to be pretty, docile little homemakers; fighting flies in the face of that and it makes many people uncomfortable. Women are supposed to be motherly, nurturing. It’s hard to feel that way when you’re seeing two people punch each other in the face. I can respect the fact that my hobby makes you uncomfortable. 

It is important to remember though both fighters are consenting adults; you don’t need to watch it if you don’t like it. I’m not a child though, so don’t tell me I can’t compete just because it gives you the heebie jeebies. For what it’s worth, being a female fighter and being an excellent mother are not mutually exclusive ideas. We have several such badass mommas in the gym I attend.

5) “You must be a super angry violent person that gets into bar fights all the time.”

Listen. Just because I hit people in a ring doesn’t mean I hit them outside of it. I have self-control, which I learned through my many years of Muay Thai training. People get on my nerves because I’m human, but unless my life is in immediate danger, I’m not getting in a fight. I don’t feel like having assault linked to my name and prison orange is not a good color on me. 

Martial artists are usually chill people. There’s no need to get in fights outside the dojo when we can train and be challenged by teammates within the gym.

You may wonder why some female fighters don’t say anything when confronted by such misogyny. There are many reasons. The desire to fit in, not appear weak, not appear overly sensitive, the frustration of being talked over or downright laughed at are all reasons why women don’t always speak up. These comments are usually made in good “fun”, but they’re actually very harmful. It’s important to watch how we speak. 

The emotional wounds from hearing these kinds of comments constantly take a lot longer to heal than any bruise. We have some little girls training at our gym. I want them to be able to focus on becoming ass kicking strong women, not vapid little sex pots in gis. 

orignally posted by xojane.com

What To Eat Before And After Your Workout

There are many opinions as to what you should eat before, during and after your workouts. The reality is that your body is your vehicle, so you’ve got to keep your engine — your heart — running while you work out.

That means fueling up with the right foods before your workout, hydrating with the right fluids throughout your regimen, and eating the right amounts at the right times.

“You don’t have to adhere to a rigid schedule, and there are no hard-fast rules,” says Riska Platt, M.S., R.D., a nutrition consultant for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. “But there are some things you should do before, during and after you work out.”

Before your workout: eat healthy carbs, hydrate with water

Not fueling up before you work out is like “driving a car on empty,” says Platt, an American Heart Association volunteer. You also won’t have enough energy to maximize your workout and you limit your ability to burn calories.
Ideally, fuel up two hours before you exercise by:

• Hydrating with water
• Eating healthy carbohydrates such as whole-grain cereals (with low-fat or skim milk), whole-wheat toast (without the fatty cream cheese), low-fat or fat-free yogurt, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, fruits and vegetables
• Avoiding saturated fats and even a lot of healthy protein — because these types of fuels digest slower in your stomach and take away oxygen and energy-delivering blood from your muscles

If you only have 5-10 minutes before you exercise, eat a piece of fruit such as an apple or banana.

“The key is to consume easily digested carbohydrates, so you don’t feel sluggish,” Platt says.

During your workout: hydrate with water

Whether you’re a professional athlete who trains for several hours or you have a low to moderate routine, keep your body hydrated with small, frequent sips of water.

You don’t need to eat during a workout that’s an hour or less. But, for longer, high intensity, vigorous workouts, eat every half hour 50-100 calories of carbohydrates such as raisins, an energy bar or banana.

After your workout: have fluids, healthy carbs and protein

After your workout, it’s time to refuel with:

• Fluids. Drink water, of course. Blend your water with 100 percent juice such as orange juice, which provides fluids, carbohydrates and potassium.
• Carbohydrates. You burn a lot of carbohydrates — the main fuel for your muscles — when you exercise. In the 20-60 minutes after your workout, your muscles can store carbohydrates and protein as energy and help in recovery.
• Protein. Eat things with protein to help repair and grow your muscles, including a whole grain bagel, baked potato, peanut butter sandwich, etc.

It’s important to realize that these are general guidelines. We have different digestive systems and “a lot depends on what kind of workout you’re doing,” Platt says.

So, do what works best for you. Know that what you put in your body (nutrition) is as important as you what you do with your body (exercise). Both are crucial to keeping your engine performing at its best.

Weight Lifting Tips For WOmen

The fix: "While opinions about static stretching may differ, a dynamic warm-up can decrease your risk for injury," says exercise physiologist Marco Borges, author of Power Moves. After five to 10 minutes of walking or jogging, do 10 to 12 lunges and pushups (the bent-knee version is fine) before starting your routine.

Using Sloppy Form
Experts agree that proper form is the single most important factor in injury prevention, yet many women don't give it a lot of thought—especially when they're in a rush. And women, thanks to their naturally wider hips, are more at risk for form-related injuries than men are: One study found that women had nearly twice as many leg and foot injuries as guys did. 

The fix: Before you begin any exercise, think S.E.A.K., says trainer Robbi Shveyd, owner of Advanced Wellness in San Francisco: Stand straight (head over shoulders; shoulders over hips; hips over feet), eyes on the horizon (looking down encourages your shoulders to round and your chest to lean forward), abs tight (as if you were about to be punched in the gut, but without holding your breath; this helps stabilize your pelvis), and knees over your second toe (women's knees have a tendency to turn in because of the angle created by wider hips, says Joan Pagano, author ofStrength Training for Women).

Stressing Out Your Shoulders
As crazy as it sounds, women who lift weights tend to have less-stable shoulder joints than women who don't lift at all, found a recent study. The reason: Doing too many exercises in which your elbows are pulled behind your body (think chest flies and rows) can overstretch the connective tissue in the front of the joints. If the backs of your shoulders are tight, you're even more likely to overstretch the front, increasing the imbalance at the joint, says Kolber. 

The fix: Modify your moves. First, don't allow your elbows to extend more than two inches behind your body. In the lowering phase of a bench press, for example, stop when your elbows are just behind you. Second, avoid positioning a bar behind your head. Bring the lat-pulldown bar in front of your shoulders, and when you're doing an overhead press, usedumbbells instead of a bar and keep the weights in your line of vision (meaning just slightly in front of your head).

Neglecting Opposing Muscle Groups
"Many women have strength imbalances, which can make them more prone to injury," says Shveyd. Sometimes they're the result of your lifestyle (hovering over a desk all day, for example, tightens and weakens your hip flexors while your glutes become overstretched and inactive). Other times they're caused by not working both sides of the body equally (say, focusing on moves that rely on your quads but not your hamstrings). 

The fix: For every exercise that works the front of the body (chest, biceps, quads), be sure to do an exercise that targets the rear (back, triceps, hamstrings). For instance, pair stability-ball chest presses withdumbbell rows, or step-ups with deadlifts.

Doing Too Much Too Soon
A lot of people think that more is better—more reps, more sets, more weight. But if you increase any of these things too quickly, your body may not be able to handle the extra workload. "Gradual conditioning prevents injuries such as torn ligaments and tendinitis, because your muscles and connective tissues have time to adapt," says Pagano. 

The fix: Practice a three-step progression. First, learn to do a move using only your body weight. "When you can do 15 reps with proper form, add weight," says Pagano. Second, stick to one set with light weights for two weeks or until you feel comfortable with the move. And finally, when you can complete nearly all of your reps with proper form, add another set or more weight (increase weight by roughly 10 percent each time).

How Women Can Build Muscle Fast!

If you're a woman trying to build muscle fast, these tips can get you to your goals. Since gaining lean muscle mass rapidly requires changes to both your workout and diet, consider a resistance training plan that works all your major muscle groups and a diet that contributes to muscle building.

Tailor Your Workout

Female athlete. Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Digital Vision/Getty Images

For rapid muscle building, women need programs tailored to their gender. Testosterone and growth hormone have a significant effect on muscle building, but women have much less of this hormone in their body. Weight training stimulates women's bodies to produce greater amounts of these two hormones, allowing you to gain muscle much more rapidly than other types of exercise.

Use Myofibrillar Hypertrophy

Lifting weights. Photo Credit iofoto/iStock/Getty Images

Myofibrillar hypertrophy is a type of exercise that builds muscle. This exercise involves using relatively heavy weights and performing sets of two to eight repetitions. A shorter number of repetitions with a heavier weight increases both the quantity and size of the muscle fibers, resulting in more lean body mass. When you reach the seventh or eighth repetition, the weight should be too heavy for you to lift easily. Pushing your muscles to the point of exhaustion stimulates testosterone release and increases microtrauma of the muscle fibers. Microtrauma involves small tears in the muscle cells, and your body will respond by repairing and replacing the damaged fibers with stronger and larger tissue/

Use Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy

Dumbbell chest press exercise. Photo Credit Chris Clinton/Photodisc/Getty Images

In addition to increasing the size and number of muscle fibers, you can also increase the fluid within muscle cells, allowing them to grow larger. This type of training shows the greatest results in beginners and leads to fast gains within a few weeks of training. With sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, you engage in circuit training with 12 to 15 repetitions per exercise and a minute or less of rest between sets. Choose three or four exercises and perform them back-to-back. Some of the more effective exercises include incline dumbbell chest press and chest fly, bench dips and dumbbell side raises. This type of training does not cause muscle fatigue, but instead stimulates the body to produce more growth hormone for muscle building.

Outside the Gym

Banana and peanut butter. Photo Credit Olga Nayashkova/iStock/Getty Images

Your workouts make up the primary way to build muscle. However, rest and diet also contribute to building muscle. Rest gives your body time to repair and build muscles, so experts recommend 48 to 72 hours between workouts. Additionally, eating before and after a workout contribute to muscle gain. About an hour to 90 minutes before a workout, eat a snack that contains about 50/50 carbohydrates and protein. Examples include a banana with a tablespoon of nut butter, energy bars made with fruits and nuts, or a half sandwich with whole grain bread and roasted turkey. You'll want to replenish the body's stores of glucose and protein within 30 minutes post-exercise. Low-fat chocolate milk and bananas with peanut butter make up easy options for a protein and carbohydrate-rich post-workout meal. These foods contribute to lean body mass building.

Womens Nutrition Guide To Eating And Loosing Weight

You often hear that nutrition is key to obtain the body you've always dreamed of. It's not a lie! Your nutrition will help you build your body according to your goals; lose fat, get toned or maintain your weight.
Gymaholic provides you a nutrition plan that can be used for getting toned or lose fat.

The food you eat provide you the energy necessary to perform your workout properly. But good nutrition plays also a big role inmuscle toning and recovery after a workout. 
This nutrition plan will contain all the meals necessary to get your dream body!

Calories Are What Matters The Most In A Nutrition Plan

Whether you want to get toned, lose fat or maintain your weight, nutrition will play a big role during this process! Your nutrition is what fuels your body with food, which is measured in calories.
You caloric consumption will determine what kind of body you will obtain:

• Get Toned: Toning your muscles means; building lean muscle mass progressively without getting too much fat. In order to do so, you will have to eat more calories than you burn, often called: caloric surplus. If you increase your calories too quickly, your body will store fat. This why it's important to do it progressively, so you can track your progress and avoid looking bulky.
• Maintain Weight: This is when you burn as many calories as you consume, often called: calorie maintenance. Knowing the caloric intake you need in order to maintain your weight is the starting point. From there, you can determine how you would have to eat in order to tone your body or lose fat. Use this calorie calculator!
• Lose Fat: If you want to lose fat, you will have to burn more calories than you consume, often called: caloric deficit. It's when your body uses fat stores for energy, which leads to weight loss. Be aware, the body can also use muscle tissue; which isbad. This is why you must lose fat progressively, if you're doing it too quickly you will kill your health and most certainly give up.

Explanations Of Macronutrients Ratio

Macronutrients are nutrients that our body needs in large amount: Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat. It's important to define the right macronutrient ratio according to your fitness goal; whether you want to tone your body or lose fat.
In short words, this ratio will depend on:

• Your Fitness Goal: If you want to burn fat, you won't have the same macronutrient ratio that someone who wants to tone up.
• Your Body Type: Some people tend to gain more weight than other. They should consume less carbohydrates and fats than the ones having a hard time toning up.
• Your Gender: Women are generally more efficient at burning fat and would often consume less carbohydrates than men.

Macronutrients Ratio According To Your Fitness Goals

During this women's nutrition plan we will define a general macronutrient ratio for each fitness goal: toning, burning fat and maintaining weight. Like said earlier, we all have different body types, so it will be your job to slightly change this ratio if your body doesn't respond to it.
The macronutrient ratios are:

• Muscle Toning: Carbohydrate 40% - Protein 40% - Fat 20%
• Maintain Weight: Carbohydrate 35% - Protein 35% - Fat 30%
• Burn Fat: Carbohydrate 30% - Protein 40% 

There Is Good Fat In This Nutrition Plan

"I want to lose fat, shouldn't I avoid eating fat?". This is good question, in fact there is several type of fats. Some are bad and others are required by your body. I recommend you to read this article: good fat versus bad fat.

Eating Healthy Is Not The Key Factor To Good Nutrition

"Eat fruits, vegetables and drink water and everything will be all right". This is what you read in magazines or on the internet. However, that sentence is not completely true. These days, eating healthy means consuming foods low in fat and high in micronutrients; vitamins and minerals.
Indeed foods with vitamins make you have a better health. However, you can eat all the healthy food of the world, but if you don't hit your daily macronutrient; you won't get the results you want. Does it make sense?
In short words; calories are calories. If you want to achieve your fitness goals you will have to first worry about yourmacronutrients, whether it's with "healthy food" or not. It's pure science!

The More Often You Eat, The Better You Will Feel

We all know that person that tried every diet that exists on earth and always give up because it's too hard. Nowadays, diets are all about food restrictions so you feel guilty if you eat one more rice grain than indicated. But again, what is really important there is your ability to hit your daily macronutrient.
Whether you want to lose some weight or tone your body, we will aim for 3 main meals and 1-2 snacks. However, if you can attain your calories in less meals, feel free to do it.
Why? Because eating every 3-4 hours will allow you to never feel hungry, which will help you to stop craving junk food.
This women's nutrition plan will be an example, so you can organize it according to your schedule. It's very important to eat something between your main meals and once again hit your macronutrients!

Daily Calorie Intake For Women

You calorie intake depends on your age, height, gender and how often you exercise weekly. I recommend you to try a calorie calculator.
For a healthy woman with a balanced diet, who is moderately active it's recommended to eat between 1800 and 2200 calories. We will start with these numbers.

Converting Percentage To Grams

It's very easy to calcule how many grams you should have for each macronutrient.
First you need to know how many calories contain each macronutrient :

• Carbohydrate: 4 Calories per gram
• Protein: 4 Calories per gram
• Fats: 9 Calories per gram

Then, let's take 2200 calories as an example and our macronutrient ratio for maintaining weight:

• 35% Carbohydrate -> 2200 x 0.35 / 4 = 192.5g
• 35% Protein -> 2200 x 0.35 / 4 = 192.5g
• 30% Fat -> 2200 x 0.3 / 9 = 73.3g

Cheat Meals And Women's Nutrition Plan

You can reward yourself with one cheat meal per week, where you won't count your calories at all; yes you deserve it! 

Women's Nutrition Plan To Maintain Weight

This women's nutrition plan will be the basis for the other ones, so take notes. Just a few changes will be made in order to hit your macronutrients.
Download the women's nutrition plan!

Nutrition Facts

• Carbohydrate: 35%
• Protein: 35%
• Fat: 30%
• Calories: 2200 calories

• Meal 1 - Breakfast (470 calories)

  • 250ml Skimmed Milk (1 glass)
  • 1 Large Banana
  • 20g Oats
  • 32g Peanut Butter (2 Tablespoons)

• Snack 1 - Morning (350 calories)

  • 40g Almonds
  • 1 Apple

• Meal 2 - Lunch (500 calories)

  • 60g White Basmati Rice
  • 100g Carrots
  • 200g Broccoli
  • 1 Chicken Fillet

• Snack 2 - Pre-workout (250 calories)

  • 250ml Skimmed Milk (1 glass)
  • 1 Apple
  • 1 Scoop Whey Protein (25g)

• Snack 3 - Post-Workout (250 calories)

  • 0.5 Large Banana
  • 2 Scoops Whey Protein (50g)

• Meal 3 - Dinner (380 calories)

  • 200g Green Beans
  • 1 Salmon Fillet Frozen
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Women's Nutrition Plan To Get Toned

The women's nutrition plan to get toned will use the same organization as the maintenance one. However, we will make acaloric surplus with a few changes in the meals.
Download the women's nutrition plan!

Nutrition Facts

• Carbohydrate: 40%
• Protein: 40%
• Fat: 20%
• Calories: 2500 calories

What food has been added or removed from the maintenance nutrition plan?

• Meal 1 - Breakfast

  • 16g Peanut Butter (1 Tablespoon) instead of 32g
  • 1 Scoop Whey Protein (25g)

• Snack 1 - Morning

  • 20g Almonds instead of 40g
  • 250g Greek Yoghurt 0%

• Meal 2 - Lunch

  • 200g Carrots instead of 100g

• Snack 2 - Pre-workout

  • 375ml Skimmed Milk (1,5 glass) instead of 250ml

• Snack 3 - Post-workout

  • 250ml Skimmed Milk (1 glass)
  • 1 Large Banana instead of 0.5

• Meal 3 - Dinner

  • 100g Carrots
  • 1,5 Salmon Fillet Frozen instead of 1

Women's Nutrition Plan To Lose Fat

The women's nutrition plan for losing fat will use the same structure as the maintenance one. However, we will make a caloric deficit with a few changes in the meals.
Download the women's nutrition plan!

Nutrition Facts

• Carbohydrate: 30%
• Protein: 40%
• Fat: 30%
• Calories: 1950 calories

What food has been added or removed from the maintenance nutrition plan?

• Meal 1 - Breakfast

  • Oats removed instead of 20g
  • 48g Peanut Butter (3 Tablespoons) instead of 32g
  • 1 Apple instead of 1 large banana

• Snack 1 - Morning

  • 20 Almonds instead of 40g
  • 1 Apple Removed
  • 1 Scoop Whey Protein (25g)

• Meal 2 - Lunch

  • White Basmatic Rice removed instead of 60g
  • 300g Broccoli instead of 200g
  • 200g Carrots instead of 100g

• Meal 3 - Dinner

  • 100g Carrots
  • 0.5 Tablespoon Olive Oil instead of 1

You Can Download Each Women's Nutrition Plan

• Get Toned
• Maintain Weight
• Lose Fat

In Conlusion

This women's nutrition plan will help you get toned and lose fat, but remember this should be used as an example of how you structure your meals. We all have different bodies, it's important to listen to it.
Let's summarize what we've just learned:

• Nutrition is key to obtain the body you want!
• Change your daily calorie intake according to your fitness goals.
• Watch your macronutrient ratio and listen to your body.
• Calories are calories. Care less about whether it is healthy or not and hit your macronutrients.
• Indeed, eating healthy is good for your body, but if you're on a cheap diet you can't always go healthy.
• This women's nutrition plan is an example, change it to what you can afford.
• Take time to prepare your meal plan according to your schedule.

I Don't Diet, I Eat According To My Goals!

How Womens Fitness Differs From Men

Women can be just as fit as men, but that level of "fitness" will never quite be the same. Women's bodies are different from men's. Not only do men and women have different levels of hormones, but the amount of fat and muscle in their bodies is very different as well. Your goal should be to work out for you, according to your gender, body mass and target goals!

Where Men and Women DifferIt's not just the sex organs that are different among men and women, but there are a few marked differences:

• Testosterone -- Men have higher levels of testosterone than women, and women have higher levels of estrogen than men. Testosterone is the hormone that helps the human body to pack on muscle, while estrogen leads to the growth of fat cells, along with all of the other markers of female sexuality. Women have a harder time packing on the muscle due to higher levels of estrogen and lower levels of testosterone.
• Weight Loss -- What is the most effective way to burn fat and lose weight? Build muscle! The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you will burn every day and the faster your metabolism will run. Seeing as men have an easier time building larger, more active muscle, it stands to reason that men will have an easier time losing weight as well. The same quality and amount of workout will often yield better results in men than in women.
• Flexibility -- This is one area where women always take the cake. Women are naturally more flexible than men, as their bones are shorter and have less pronounced corners. The female body tends to be more rounded, and the bones around the pelvis are more flexible than men's pelvic bones.
• Muscle Mass -- Men naturally pack on more muscle mass than women, due simply to their higher testosterone levels. If you measured the body mass index of the average man against an average woman of the same weight, the man will usually have a lower body mass index (indicating greater muscle mass).
• Body Mass Index -- The body mass index determines the ratio of fat to total body weight. Women tend to have a higher body mass index (meaning more fat), but a "healthy" BMI for women is about 5% higher than for men. This is because the fat on a woman's body is important for healthy reproductive function.

What does this mean?

Basically, it means that men have a slightly easier time getting in shape than women do. Men can build muscle more easily, which will in turn help them to lose weight and get in shape. Men also have more strength than women, and they can handle heavier loads more quickly.

That doesn't mean that women can't get in shape as well. It just means that they need to find a workout program that plays to their strengths, and they shouldn't try to compete with their fellow man. If you're not seeing the same amounts of gain as your boyfriend/husband/male friend, don't worry about it! Your bodies are designed differently, and what is "fit" to you is not the same as his definition of "fitness". 

originally posted by fitday.com

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.