If your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight but you need to do something more exciting than jogging on a treadmill to keep you motivated, perhaps you should consider doing a martial art like boxing, kickboxing, karate, or judo.In this article we list the top 10 reasons to consider doing a martial art for fitness and weight loss to help you decide if doing one is right for you.1. Doing martial arts for weight lossIt’s no coincidence that gyms, personal trainers and producers of exercise videos and DVD’s are now heavily incorporating training techniques and exercises from a wide variety of martial arts in their workouts.Boxercise, Tae Bo, Cardio-Kickboxing, Kung Fu Aerobics, and personal trainers using punching bags, focus mitts and kicking pads in their sessions are just a couple of examples of how martial arts training is being used in cardio workouts for fitness and weight loss.Because martial art training is typically high intensity and usually lasts for at least an hour in most cases, it burns a maximum number of kilojoules or calories per workout and is therefore great for anyone who wants to lose weight and lose it fast.2. Doing martial arts for fitnessMost martial arts incorporate exercises and drills that improve cardiovascular fitness and endurance, help build muscle strength and improve muscle flexibility so they are perfect for anyone wanting to improve their overall fitness.Cardiovascular fitness improvements require us to regularly elevate our heart rate for extended periods and most martial arts training can help us do that.Improving the strength, size and shape of our muscles requires us to regularly subject them to some form of resistance training. Martial arts training helps provide this training by requiring us to perform exercises like push-ups and squats using our own body weight for resistance.Improved flexibility is a natural byproduct of martial arts training because most, if not all styles of martial art incorporate stretching exercises in their workouts.As a result of providing all of these fitness benefits, martial artists like boxers and kickboxers are widely regarded as being among the fittest athletes in the world and practitioners of karate, judo, etc are considered among the strongest pound-for-pound and most flexible athletes in the world.3. Doing martial arts and self-defenseOne of the most obvious benefits of doing a martial art is that it provides us with the fitness, strength, skill and techniques necessary to protect ourselves from being attacked by others who are out to harm us if the need should ever arise.Like an insurance policy, we hope you’re never in a position to have to use your martial arts training to defend yourself, but it’s great to know this ability is there just in case.Because they are primarily concerned with elevating our heart rates to burn energy and improve our fitness, many of the workouts listed above like Tae Bo, Boxercise, etc don’t really provide this benefit to the same extent as doing martial arts training with a dedicated teacher in a martial arts school that only provides one service – to teach you a specific martial art.Many people mistakenly believe that because they punch a focus mitt 50 times during a session with their personal trainer that they know how to punch properly and can therefore defend themselves if they need to. This is a big mistake and we hope these people never find themselves in a situation where this belief is tested.Unless they’ve had many years of martial arts training themselves, most personal trainers and gym instructors will not be able to offer advice about your punching and kicking technique, they are only really qualified to hold the focus mitts or kick-pad for you while you punch or kick them.Remember, while probably great at what they do, these trainers are more like aerobics instructors than specifically qualified martial arts instructors.4. Doing martial arts and self-confidenceIn addition to providing us with the ability to defend ourselves, one of the greatest personal benefits that martial art training provides is a high degree of self-confidence.This self-confidence partly results from the knowledge that we are much better equipped to defend ourselves given that we have done some martial arts training, but it also comes from a sense of achievement once we begin to master the techniques taught to us and the new confidence that results from feeling fitter and stronger and looking fitter and stronger.Given that one of the first things to suffer, and one of the hardest things to reestablish afterwards, when we become overweight is our self-confidence this benefit is of particular value to those of us who have a weight problem.5. Doing martial arts to improve body balance and coordinationAs well as helping us to become fitter and stronger, martial art training typically involves the mastery of a range of techniques that requires us to be well-balanced and have superior body coordination.In learning to master these techniques we naturally improve our balance and our coordination which helps us with other aspects of our daily life.6. Doing martial arts for variety Martial art training provides great variety in two ways.Firstly, martial arts training sessions themselves have great variety built into them by including warm-ups and cool-downs, stretching exercises, strength building exercises, cardio exercises and exercises designed to improve and teach us a wide variety of techniques.This variety is great for our mind as well as our body.Secondly, there are such a wide variety of martial arts to study that we should be able to easily find one that suits our particular goals and interests.Whether we prefer to do a martial art that primarily revolves around striking or grappling techniques or a perfect mix of both, or we want to study a highly technical or very simple style, the choice is great.7. Doing martial arts teaches discipline and provides motivationEverybody knows that studying a martial art requires and teaches discipline.Because it is also goal orientated, training in one of the many martial arts also provides a great deal of motivation.Lack of discipline and motivation are the most often quoted reasons for weight loss failures and for this reason, doing a martial art for weight loss and fitness may help many of us who lack the required discipline and motivation to achieve our weight loss goals to overcome these common barriers to success.8. Doing martial arts for spiritualityOne definition of spirituality is “Activities which renew, lift up, comfort, heal and inspire both ourselves and those with whom we interact.”Martial art training has been practiced by millions of people over many centuries because among other things, it has a great ability to spiritually uplift us.As well as forging a better connection between our mind and body, it also has the ability to forge a better connection between us and our world and us and others.9. Doing martial arts training is relatively inexpensiveCompared to joining some gyms and hiring some personal trainers, training at a martial arts school or dojo is relatively inexpensive.Many martial arts schools charge a very modest monthly fee for training and the beauty of this is you can train when and as often as it suits you.In addition to low ongoing training costs, buying a uniform and any equipment you may need to train in most cases will be relatively inexpensive as well.10. Doing martial arts has a social aspectMany people who start doing martial arts training for weight loss, improved fitness or self-defense end up enjoying it most for its social aspects.As well as training and learning with others with similar goals, many martial arts trainees help encourage and motivate each other and end up becoming very good friends.Many martial arts instructors too have very friendly dispositions and foster a fun and friendly environment in which to train which endears them to their students who typically also become close friends.ConclusionIf your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight but you need to do something more exciting than jogging on a treadmill to keep you motivated, perhaps you should consider doing a martial art like boxing, kickboxing, karate, or judo.In this article we listed the top 10 reasons to consider doing a martial art for fitness and weight loss to help you decide if doing one is right for you.

Australia’s public health care system strives to ensure that every citizen has access to quality medical services. Although Medicare guarantees every Australian will see a health care practitioner even when no private health plan is in place, waiting times for certain procedures, including elective surgery, can be extremely long.Your health insurance plan offers additional coverage to take care of procedures and expenses not covered by Medicare, and probably allows you to bypass the lengthy waiting periods experienced by individuals who depend solely on Medicare for their health cover. However, different health cover providers offer different waiting time options, which is why it is so important to compare health plans to find the one that best suits your needs and the needs of your family.The Australian government has been trying to address the problem of long waiting times for elective surgery, since so many Australians have no private health cover and depend on Medicare alone for their health care. But change takes time, particularly when it is dependent upon increased funding at the national level. Since private cover is widely available, and different providers offer a variety of plans and options to suit every budget, your health insurance premium doesn’t have to be beyond reach.By comparing health cover policies, you can find insurance that will safeguard you and your family if you have unexpected health care costs not covered by Medicare. Elective surgery doesn’t always mean cosmetic surgery; cataract removal, gall bladder removal, coronary bypass graft, tonsillectomy, repair of a perforated eardrum all fall under the category of elective surgery. Many conditions that require elective surgery are painful, making the waiting period very difficult.No one is immune from illness or injury; your health insurance can provide peace of mind when it is most needed.An added incentive to purchase private insurance is the 30 percent rebate available to policy owners through the Australian government, which was set up to encourage Australians to purchase private health cover. The rebate increases to 35 percent when you turn 65, and 40 percent when you turn 70. Your health insurance monthly premium will be established according to the cover package you choose, which is why it’s important to compare health plans before choosing one. You may tailor your private plan to your individual needs in order to save money and avoid paying for unnecessary coverage. For instance, if you’re under 35 and beginning a family, you probably don’t need coverage for cataract surgery or hip replacements.When comparing health cover policies, it’s important to understand life stage concerns, which helps determine what coverage is best suited to you according to your age, lifestyle, and level of protection you are looking for. Insurance needs change as we age, and it’s always best to review your health insurance plan yearly to make sure you have all the coverage you need, and aren’t paying for coverage you no longer need.Remember, you can’t put a price on good health. Compare health cover plans that meet your needs and the needs of your family, and rest assured that the safety net you put in place will protect you and your loved ones when the unexpected happens.

Designing homes is a great deal of work and more so if you don’t know how to go about the process. With the assistance of architects, however, it is now possible to enjoy a smooth ride with your house design needs. They are professionals who will not only bring your design into reality, but also handle all paperwork you need for your house plan and design. You simply will need to explain the design idea you have in mind and wait for the experts to offer you insight and advice at the same time to improve on the results that you get.House Design ProcedureDesigning residential building plans need to be handled in the best way to make the process a success without too much hassle. The architectural procedure of handling the projects starts by understanding your needs as a client through detailed discussions. The expert will then take you through the pros and cons of the house plan and design where you can together come up with schematic floor plans for the same. He will then prepare the floor plans and together you can make necessary changes before finalizing on the plans. Residential elevations can be proposed before the building contractor or labor needs are finalized. This procedure is important to making a house design perfect for you and a good architect will without a doubt make it easy for you.Residential Designs According To WorkThe architect helping you with the house design will make the work easier by categorizing the plan in the works needed for completion. It can be done according to construction materials needed, labor and the interiors among other important house design needs. The city within which the house will be designed is also an important consideration because it will determine things such as materials that are available for the construction.Remember that you will need to make a good choice with the ceilings, bathrooms, décor, walls and even kitchen platforms and the doors. A good architect will help you in making the right choice and even help with the estimation before the project begins. This way, you will find it very easy to end up with a house design that matches with your individual preferences and needs.Importance of House Planning Efforts are needed in designing residential house planning and this is something that can consume lots of energy and time to do. Through proper planning, you will get all tips that you need to ease the load of trying to come up with the best design for your house plans. Hiring an architect will ease your load greatly because he will have all the details that you require in making your project a success. Architects will have the experience needed in making all the right choices.Using experienced insight brings in a sense of creativity to the design plan. It is a simple way of making sure that nothing goes wrong during the construction. You can also be sure that the project will be over successfully within a reasonable period of time when using professionals to cater to your needs. You, in the end, will enjoy a strong and sturdy house that matches your individual tastes and preferences and expectations.