Part two: Strength training and the importance of protein

Louise O’Driscoll, Xen-Do Kickboxing and Martial Arts affiliated Holistic Health Coach is no stranger to the dojo combining Xen-Do’s training programme with a healthy lifestyle. In part two of our fitness guide for 2015 Louise looks at building strength and importantly why this is so beneficial to women.

If you train regularly at  Xen-Do Kickboxing and Martial Arts Club then hopefully you already feel pretty strong, but most of us would benefit from a little extra resistance training. Women in particular can gain huge health benefits from this, particularly as we age and lose muscle density – and contrary to popular belief, women do not get bulky when they weight train, because they simply don’t have the necessary levels of testosterone.

Resistance training can help maintain muscle tone, provide protection against osteoporosis and injury. It has also been shown to positively affect insulin resistance, blood pressure and gastrointestinal efficiency, which can reduce the chances of getting diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Also, because muscle is metabolically active, the more you have, the higher your metabolism will be, meaning the more you can eat without gaining weight – result!

Body weight exercises, such as those included in a Xen-Do Kickboxing and Martial Arts Class (push ups, planks, squats) are excellent, or use free weights (with proper instruction to start off). You’ll definitely notice the difference in how you cope with a kickboxing class too!

To build strong muscles, protein is essential. It is also your friend when it comes to weight loss, because it takes a long time for your body to process, meaning it takes longer after a protein rich meal or snack to feel hungry again. Try and include a good source at every meal. Top choices include eggs, lean meat, fish, quinoa, avocado, raw nuts, lentils, dairy, chickpeas and peas.

Sensei Denise Bailey agrees with Louise: ”Xen-Do Kickboxing and Martial Arts provides a chart topping cardio and calorie workout as well as building whole body strength, our programmes are designed for students to make rapid progress with exponential growth in fitness, kickboxing and martial arts ability and self confidence and security, the sooner you start the sooner you will feel fantastic and with Xen-Do’s support you will adopt life changing habits that will endure and not lapse in the first few months of 2015.”

Are you or a friend looking to improve your fitness? Will you be looking to take up a new activity in 2015? Xen-Do kickboxing and martial arts clubs in London offer a free trial lesson where you can experience our unique ‘hybrid’ training system that delivers chart topping exercise, progress in martial arts and a great feeling of self confidence in a one hour lesson, book your free trial now and take advantage of special membership offers available now.

This article is based on opinion:
– the author is not a qualified doctor or anyone who can dispense medical advice.
– any opinions stated are just that and people should consult a doctor before making any dietary changes or changes of any nature prompted by the articles published by or on behalf of Xen-Do.
– under 16’s please obtain parental permission before posting anything online.
– any opinions stated are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of Xen-Do.