Martial Arts Is Good For Your Mental Health

Question

Martial arts has been proven by many of those who learned it and also professional fighters to help not only improve physical fitness but mental health too by finding a sense of calm or finding a way to improve yourself.
In this article "UFC legend Georges St-Pierre explains how mixed martial arts can improve mental health." Georges St-Pierre, argues that in his early struggles. MMA was there for him in challenging times. In The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famer said he started martial arts as a defense tool because he was a victim of bullying and he found that with learning martial arts he felt stronger and even felt mentally safe knowing he can protect himself if situations required it.

Answer 1

Yes! Not only does it help people feel more secure, but it also has several physical health benefits. According to the article, "12 Essential Benefits of Learning Martial Arts (Miller)," martial arts benefits physical health, increased flexibility, lowering blood pressure and heart rate, enhanced mental well being, increased self confidence, and a few more relating to physical and mental well being. Another article published on Webmd, "Mental Benefits of Martial Arts," goes into the more mental benefits including stress relief, and some claim finding a life purpose, according to the article. It's also reviewed by an accomplished health care columnist, a public speaker, and a contributing writer for the American Academy of Pediatrics' web site, HealthyChildren.org, Dr Dan Brennan.

Comments

Hello! I really valued how you highlighted the pieced how this workout isn't just made for your physical health, but also your mental health! iI agree with the idea with your sources that the this form of self defense can reduce stress and build confidence. The article by Miller and WebMD was very nicely supported in your clam, but I was wondering how you thought it would shape not just your ring during the time, bu discuss more how it'll affect your health in the long run ad throughout life.

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I think it was very helpful that you referenced multiple sources for this fact-check. To add on, you gave a brief background of the author who wrote the article which is helpful when trying to determine if the source is reliable. However, I think it would be beneficial if you went into more detail about the source that the original post cited, in order to fact-check their claim and information.

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I thought this was a great fact check. Right off the bat you bring in multiple sources that back up the claim that Martial Arts is good for mental health. I like that you used both physical and mental examples in your explanation, such has how martial arts benefits our physical health and strength, and it also is a great stress reliever for anxiety, booster of confidence, and an overall higher well-being.

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This is such a fascinating topic and I completely agree with you. In this article https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-benefits-of-martial-arts I found a quote that summarizes the benefits of martial arts "Martial arts can help reduce stress and anxiety by encouraging you to practice deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness. It helps train your mind to keep your attention focused while remaining calm and alert. This can be especially helpful when you're trying to do multiple tasks that divide your attention". Based off of this research I can say martial arts is great for the soul, this unique traditional movement can help people feel more calm and confident.

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I think you did a great job of really connecting the correlation between mental health and physical health. it is so fascinating how the two are connected and really make such a big impact on each other. I also like that you added how it improved confidence and created a community for people.

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In my experience with martial arts, I can most definitely say this is true for me! The source you used is great as well. However, I think a claim such as this can go either way and is completely subjective. I know people who have tried martial arts and they have lost confidence and have built up even more anger. I think having the patience for it is what builds a better mental health

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Absolutely great work on this fact-check! You did a solid job connecting both physical and mental health benefits of martial arts and backing it up with reliable sources. I really like how you brought in specific examples from the "12 Essential Benefits of Learning Martial Arts" article—those details about flexibility, heart health, and confidence really help ground the argument.

Even better, you took it a step further by including a medically reviewed article from WebMD, and it’s awesome that you noted Dr. Dan Brennan’s credentials. That gives your fact-check a lot of credibility. You’re clearly thinking critically about your sources and presenting a balanced view. Keep it up!

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I really enjoyed learning more about this topic as many of these activities can lead to physical benefits but many people forget to mention the mental health aspects.  The article "12 Essential Benefits of Learning Martial Arts" is a strong piece to back up your claim. Just going out a doing something for yourself can really have strong benefits. I also liked that you made sure to add the credentials for the writers of the articles, which makes it easier for the reader to know who researched this information.

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I enjoyed how you expanded on the physical benefits of Martial Arts with new and reliable sources. Ive always know that physical activity is good for your physical and mental health but to learn the science behind it is very moving and inspiring. The claim about finding a life purpose is very interesting and ties into everything you mentioned. I see how with all the different benefits you can really become a better person and your true self through Martial Arts. Overall, I enjoyed the facts you provided and your response and have learned some valuable information about something new to me, martial arts.

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Hey! I really like the way you approach the this fact-checking, martial arts is such a unique angle for health benefits! You pulled from solid sources, and I liked that you included Dr. Brennan’s credentials to back up the WebMD info. One thing I was curious about: are any of the benefits you listed supported by actual studies? It’d be interesting to see one or two research, based examples next time to add more weight to the claims. Still, you made a great case overall!

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I appreciate your take and the reliability of the sources you included. I think martial arts, like many other sports, is a great mental and physical resource to benefit one's life. However, I think it's important to consider the long-term effects a sport such as Martial arts plays in one's life. Just as we've seen Football have a horrible effect on players, it is a growing concern for the professional players of MMA. Though most hobbyists of martial arts may not be a huge concern, I think it is important to consider the long-term effects of a sport that has the potential to lead to head trauma. As covered by the National Library of Medicine, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6352039/ MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is a growing concern for the development of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy)

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I think that you had a great approach to this fact check! You were able to not only use multiple reasons but also multiple sources to prove why martial arts benefit mental health. I appreciate that you added the additional credentials of the health care columnist that reviewed the WebMD article. Your response was able to effectively and efficiently tie the physical and mental benefits of martial arts together and provide the reader with several reliable sources that supported the claim.

Answer 2

It is true that Martial Arts may be a helpful tool in peoples mental health, but we cant necessarily claim that "Martial Arts is good for mental health" for everyone as it is such a general statement. I would classify this claim as an opinion as it works for some people and might not for others. It is like saying "Nike is an amazing shoe", although Nike might be a great shoe we cant officially claim that everyone will think it is amazing. According to the City News article Martial Arts has helped many fighters feel more fulfilled and can be "a therapy for me" says MMA fighter St-Pierre. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that the "relationship between mental health and martial arts training is generally positive" in the context of sports based interventions for mental health. The article also states that martial arts had a "medium effect on internalising mental health". Although Martial arts can be good for peoples mental health we cant classify this claim as true or false.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33218541/

Comments

I liked how you kept your response objective, and I think you are right. The original claim of "Martial arts is good for your mental health" is subjective, as the study you linked said. Since the study used over 500,000 participants to measure aggression before and after partaking in martial arts and found no significant correlation I must agree that there isn't significant enough evidence to say this claim is true or false.

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I really like how you explained that the claim about martial arts and mental health depends on the person — that’s a smart way to look at it. I agree that just because something helps some people, doesn’t mean it will work for everyone, kind of like your Nike example!

I also think another reason the claim can’t be fully true or false is because different types of martial arts might give different results. Like, someone doing karate for self-confidence might feel way different than someone doing MMA for competition. So the benefits might depend on the person’s goals too, not just the sport itself.

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I think you most definitely struck the right vein with this response to the claim. While many people do find martial arts to be beneficial to their mental health, it is simply too broad a claim to register as true or false. You managed to keep your response measured and objective, pointing out the fact that this claim is more or less just an opinion formulated off a large survey.