Advantages to martial arts for the older folks

[Bill Mattocks]

Functional Benefits of Hard Martial Arts for Older Adults: A Scoping Review

The present scoping review focused upon the functional benefits of hard martial arts training for older adults. The AXIS Critical Appraisal Tool was used to appraise all studies included in the review. A systematic literature search identified 265 papers ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Oily Dragon]

Im glad they separated out judo and BJJ as "hard" arts. If the key to surviving old age is not falling or falling better..

We already know arts like Aikido and park Tai Chi do a good job of teaching balance etc, but it's nice to see other arts represented in a study. Karate never gets a good study.

 

[mograph]

Not sure if it was a good idea to include Taekkyon, given that it seems to be hard to find outside Korea. (shrug) But it looks like an interesting study, and I'll dig deeper. Thanks!

 

[JowGaWolf]

I haven't read it but sounds interesting.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Not sure if it was a good idea to include Taekkyon, given that it seems to be hard to find outside Korea. (shrug) But it looks like an interesting study, and I'll dig deeper. Thanks!

There isn't actually any reason to believe that the "Taekkyon" you can find has any real connection to the Taekkyon of old.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Tai Chi showed a greater improvement in single leg stance over Taekkyon.

I don't agree with the above statement. TKD has more kicks that require single leg balance than Taiji has. Most of the Taiji moves are using both legs. I don't believe double legs balance can be more challenged than single leg balance.

Will you get better balance from this?

or from this?

 

[mograph]

There isn't actually any reason to believe that the "Taekkyon" you can find has any real connection to the Taekkyon of old.

I wouldn't have included it in the study, at any rate.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Tai Chi showed a greater improvement in single leg stance over Taekkyon.

There are 9 kicks in the 108 moves Yang Yaiji form. That's less than 10%. I believe the Chen Taiji has even less kick than the Yang Taiji. IMO, the more kick (or leg skill) that you have trained, the better balance that you will have.

In my daily training, I prefer the following ratio:

kick : punch = 1 : 3.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

You are not old if you can do this.

Grandmaster Fu Nan Shun demonstrating Chang Tung Sheng Tai Chi, GM Chang's version of Tai Chi Chuan, which combines Yang-style Tai Chi with Xinq Yi and... | By XpowerSportFacebook

Grandmaster Fu Nan Shun demonstrating Chang Tung Sheng Tai Chi, GM Chang's version of Tai Chi Chuan, which combines Yang-style Tai Chi with Xinq Yi and...

www.facebook.com

 

[halie18]

Functional Benefits of Hard Martial Arts for Older Adults: A Scoping Review

The present scoping review focused upon the functional benefits of hard martial arts training for older adults. The AXIS Critical Appraisal Tool was used to appraise all studies included in the review. A systematic literature search identified 265 papers ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

great review, really interesting

 

[Gyakuto]

I should imagine any exercise is good for old people since the majority do next no physical activity. But I doubt there’s anything special about MA training when compared to rowing, swimming or gymnastics and they’re much less likely to injure themselves when pulling on a pole in a scull.

Have you ever see those fitness gurus, on morning TV showing exercises like raising your hands above your head or side stepping to music? I often think ‘what’s the point of doing so little exercise’ and then remember they’re catering for the old, infirm and hugely obese.

 

[Oily Dragon]

I should imagine any exercise is good for old people since the majority do next no physical activity. But I doubt there’s anything special about MA training when compared to rowing, swimming or gymnastics and they’re much less likely to injure themselves when pulling on a pole in a scull.

Have you ever see those fitness gurus, on morning TV showing exercises like raising your hands above your head or side stepping to music? I often think ‘what’s the point of doing so little exercise’ and then remember they’re catering for the old, infirm and hugely obese.

One of my personal moments of enlightenment:

I was helping sifu run a gym class full of geriatric types, basic static Qigong. Other than sifu I was the youngest person in the room by at least 40 years.

So imagine me in the corner of this group, in my early 30's, Shaolin kung fu disciple, able to hold a lot of these positions no problem for hours.

While the group is trying to keep arms extended and straight (not easy for any of them), sifu turns his attention to me, walks over, and says

" look up "

I hold the qigong pose and raise my face straight up, feeling a slight stretch in my neck, but otherwise effortless.

Sifu says:

"Now look around you".

That's when I notice every single other person in the room is hunched over. As straight as they are trying to make their limbs, years of bad posture and lack of exercise has made them unable to do simple things, like stand up fully straight and look up at the sky.

Sifu says:

"Do you see it? None of them can look up anymore. But it's not too late for you!"

Sifu walks off laughing, knowing I got the point.

To this day, simple standing straight and looking up is part of my "don't be old when you're old" regimen.

Just ask yourself when was the last time you looked straight up like that? You'll be surprised how seldom it is.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Just ask yourself when was the last time you looked straight up like that? You'll be surprised how seldom it is.

Daily. Part of my neck exercises.

 

[Gyakuto]

One of my personal moments of enlightenment:

I was helping sifu run a gym class full of geriatric types, basic static Qigong. Other than sifu I was the youngest person in the room by at least 40 years.

So imagine me in the corner of this group, in my early 30's, Shaolin kung fu disciple, able to hold a lot of these positions no problem for hours.

While the group is trying to keep arms extended and straight (not easy for any of them), sifu turns his attention to me, walks over, and says

" look up "

I hold the qigong pose and raise my face straight up, feeling a slight stretch in my neck, but otherwise effortless.

Sifu says:

"Now look around you".

That's when I notice every single other person in the room is hunched over. As straight as they are trying to make their limbs, years of bad posture and lack of exercise has made them unable to do simple things, like stand up fully straight and look up at the sky.

Sifu says:

"Do you see it? None of them can look up anymore. But it's not too late for you!"

Sifu walks off laughing, knowing I got the point.

To this day, simple standing straight and looking up is part of my "don't be old when you're old" regimen.

Just ask yourself when was the last time you looked straight up like that? You'll be surprised how seldom it is.

‘Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist’ -Stephen Hawking.

I like to look at the moon and stars…

 

[JowGaWolf]

One of my personal moments of enlightenment:

I was helping sifu run a gym class full of geriatric types, basic static Qigong. Other than sifu I was the youngest person in the room by at least 40 years.

So imagine me in the corner of this group, in my early 30's, Shaolin kung fu disciple, able to hold a lot of these positions no problem for hours.

While the group is trying to keep arms extended and straight (not easy for any of them), sifu turns his attention to me, walks over, and says

" look up "

I hold the qigong pose and raise my face straight up, feeling a slight stretch in my neck, but otherwise effortless.

Sifu says:

"Now look around you".

That's when I notice every single other person in the room is hunched over. As straight as they are trying to make their limbs, years of bad posture and lack of exercise has made them unable to do simple things, like stand up fully straight and look up at the sky.

Sifu says:

"Do you see it? None of them can look up anymore. But it's not too late for you!"

Sifu walks off laughing, knowing I got the point.

To this day, simple standing straight and looking up is part of my "don't be old when you're old" regimen.

Just ask yourself when was the last time you looked straight up like that? You'll be surprised how seldom it is.

As we get older it's the little things that mean more. It's also the little things that affect us the most and become big things.

I find myself working more on the little things.

 

[MetalBoar]

I should imagine any exercise is good for old people since the majority do next no physical activity. But I doubt there’s anything special about MA training when compared to rowing, swimming or gymnastics and they’re much less likely to injure themselves when pulling on a pole in a scull.

Have you ever see those fitness gurus, on morning TV showing exercises like raising your hands above your head or side stepping to music? I often think ‘what’s the point of doing so little exercise’ and then remember they’re catering for the old, infirm and hugely obese.

The belief that this is the best these people can do isn't doing them any great service. Sure, it's better than being completely sedentary, but it reinforces the fear that any real exercise is going to kill them. While it's true that some peoples' health has declined to the point that they are in a state of rapid and inevitable decline, it's definitely the minority of septuagenarians and probably octogenarians too. Even the very old and deconditioned can often see huge improvements in functional ability and health with a well constructed exercise program centered on high intensity resistance training. This is even more true for middle aged or younger people struggling with obesity. Unless they're so overfat as to me bedridden a real resistance training program can be utterly transformative.

 

[Gyakuto]

The belief that this is the best these people can do isn't doing them any great service. Sure, it's better than being completely sedentary, but it reinforces the fear that any real exercise is going to kill them. While it's true that some peoples' health has declined to the point that they are in a state of rapid and inevitable decline, it's definitely the minority of septuagenarians and probably octogenarians too. Even the very old and deconditioned can often see huge improvements in functional ability and health with a well constructed exercise program centered on high intensity resistance training. This is even more true for middle aged or younger people struggling with obesity. Unless they're so overfat as to me bedridden a real resistance training program can be utterly transformative.

I think the number of 70/80 year olds one could coax into high intensity resistance training is about the same the number of 30/50 years old who do high intensity resistance training - a small minority.

Old people are simply lazy, preferring to sit around playing raucous sessions of bridge or blackjack with their friends into the wee hours, drinking gin & tonic and reminding everyone that they are veterans. And why not and good on them! That’s what I intend to do in the fullness of time and not partake in high intensity resistance training 😉

 

[Gyakuto]

This is even more true for middle aged or younger people struggling with obesity.

As an aside, I was chatting to an elderly friend at bell ringing last night. He’d just come back from a cruise and he said, with some amazement, that the Brits on board the ship were by far fatter than any American he’d ever met (he lived in the USA when he was a test pilot). He said many couldn’t go out on excursions because they could fit on the coach seats etc! So there you have it, Britain has finally overtaken our American cousins in the race to become spherical!

 

[MetalBoar]

I think the number of 70/80 year olds one could coax into high intensity resistance training is about the same the number of 30/50 years old who do high intensity resistance training - a small minority.

Old people are simply lazy, preferring to sit around playing raucous sessions of bridge or blackjack with their friends into the wee hours, drinking gin & tonic and reminding everyone that they are veterans. And why not and good on them! That’s what I intend to do in the fullness of time and not partake in high intensity resistance training 😉

Sure, but if you're that lazy you aren't doing this either:

Have you ever see those fitness gurus, on morning TV showing exercises like raising your hands above your head or side stepping to music? I often think ‘what’s the point of doing so little exercise’ and then remember they’re catering for the old, infirm and hugely obese.

If you can and will do this ^, you can and probably would do HIT if you were told that it would actually significantly improve your life experience and was no more likely to kill you.

 

[drop bear]

I should imagine any exercise is good for old people since the majority do next no physical activity. But I doubt there’s anything special about MA training when compared to rowing, swimming or gymnastics and they’re much less likely to injure themselves when pulling on a pole in a scull.

Have you ever see those fitness gurus, on morning TV showing exercises like raising your hands above your head or side stepping to music? I often think ‘what’s the point of doing so little exercise’ and then remember they’re catering for the old, infirm and hugely obese.

It is such a mental game though. A mate of mine does veterans MMA. And uses it as a mental health support group.

And while meditation or yoga might have the same effects technically. Getting someone who kills people for a living to do that is apparently quite hard.