There’s no denying that martial arts practice does wonders for the body physically. Many people who walk into our Los Angeles fitness studio realize this, and they’re eager to take classes to improve their flexibility and muscle tone.
 
But, some of the new students we get have no idea of the tremendous benefits of practicing martial arts that go well beyond creating a great physical form. They don’t yet know how simply taking a class a week, in one of our martial arts-influenced disciplines, can increase wellbeing holistically.
 
Martial Arts for Overall Mental and Physical Health
 
Practicing martial arts is not only a good way to get a fantastic looking body, it’s an ideal form of exercise to strengthen the mind and the body’s internal systems. When you engage in martial arts, you relax, stimulate, challenge, and workout the brain, muscles, skeletal system, and many other parts of your body, which encourages the body to work as one cohesive unit for the benefit of your total health.
 
People who practice martial arts have seen improvement in mental health conditions, disease, and physical challenges of different scopes and scales. They’ve successfully overcome problems with organ systems and brain chemistry, leading to more enjoyment of life in terms of doing things that were difficult for them before or finally living stress free.
 
Martial arts practice is a great way to heal the body, and it’s an excellent means to preventing stresses and diseases that are all too common in today’s crazy world.
 
Choose Any Martial Arts Practice
 
There are many types of martial arts, including traditional practices and variations of those practices that were born of certain influences but offer new approaches to mind and body wellness. At A4Fitness, we encourage you to explore many kinds of martial arts disciplines and to step into our studio to see how we take the core tenants of martial arts practice to a new and exciting level.
 
At its most basic, martial arts includes aerobic and/ or strength (stretching) training. Sometimes, martial arts practice is multidimensional and it draws on several influences to benefit the practitioner in a multitude of ways. No matter what martial arts practice you choose, you’re still engaging your body in total mental and physical exercise, which helps prevent disease and promote allover wellness.
 
Martial Arts to Transform the Body
 
By practicing martial arts, you give your body the training it needs for many physiological changes to take place – which happen for the better to strengthen all of your body’s systems. Most people start noticing these changes about three weeks into their practice. As you take martial arts classes, you will likely see a profound positive change in blood sugar, circulation, blood pressure, and metabolism, among other health indicators. These changes are noticeable in the body, but they’re also happening in the brain as anxiety is reduced, depression goes away, and chronic fatigue is no longer an issue.
 
Martial arts does amazing things for the brain first, which translates to positivity throughout the body. While practicing martial arts, concentrations of neurotransmitters that regulate the body’s systems are brought into balance so that the entire body can function in harmony. Many clinical studies prove these emotional and physiological changes that accompany martial arts practice, most of which directly relate to the balancing of neurotransmitters.
 
In fact, many martial arts practitioners who are in their 70s and 80s credit martial arts for their good mental and physical health, and their avoidance of depression, thyroid disease, respiratory ailments, liver problems, bone fragility, and brain illnesses.
 
We encourage you to come visit us at A4Fitness to talk about martial arts in Los Angeles and how practicing this ancient form, and variations of it, can help you prevent disease and come to a place of total health and wellness. We look forward to seeing you soon!

It’s always great to see our friends come into our Los Angeles fitness studios to workout with us. We love to enjoy a great Cross Fit or Muay Thai session with those we’ve come to know, and our new friends too. But, we also like hearing that our friends and students are making time in their schedules to get outdoors and move, even if it’s just for a short hike or beach walk.
 
Did you know that being outside in the sunshine can improve one’s health and keep the body functioning optimally? According to a study conducted at the University of Michigan, walking in nature makes a personal physically and mentally healthier. We talked a bit in our last post about how practicing martial arts can positively affect the brain, which in turn brings about health and healing to the physical body. Getting outside and walking in nature is a similar approach to good health, yet it has the added benefit of exposing the body to vitamin D from the sunshine, which is something every individual needs if they want to stay healthy.
 
The University of Michigan study showed that moving the body outdoors helped participants ward off depression, improved their outlook on fitness as a whole, focus on what’s really important in their life, and strengthen their immunity.
 
There are plenty of places around our Los Angeles fitness studios where you can go to walk, hike, bike, in-line skate, or get in other exercise that you might enjoy – in the sunshine and fresh air. The following are some of our favorites:
 
Ballona Wetlands Trail
 
You can take the Ballona Wetlands Trail from the freshwater marsh in Playa Del Rey (at the corner of Lincoln and Jefferson) through Playa and Marina Del Rey, and continue on through the Marina to Venice and even Santa Monica if you want. Along with mild temperatures for hiking, this trail offers fresh sea air as well as gorgeous views of water and wildlife.
 
Malibu Creek State Park
 
Malibu Creek State Park is a great place to go walking, hiking, or rock climbing. The park features lakes and rivers (seasonal), amazing rock formations, and historical California ranches to observe while you’re adventuring. Many climbers like to take on the Castro Crest ridge in the park.
 


Griffith Park (Fern Dell Trail)
 
Griffith Park has 53 miles of trails in 4,310 acres of moderate to rough terrain. A nice trail for beginners and those who want a gentle hike is the trail leading from Fern Dell Drive to the Griffith Park Observatory, the Fern Dell Train gives you the added bonus of enjoying an organic treat or meal before or after your hike, at The Trails café that sits at the trail base on Fern Dell Drive.
 
In addition to these spots for exercising outdoors, we love Cahuenga Peak (visit the Wisdom Tree), the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, and the Tree People Trails.

Need a bit of inspiration to keep your on track with your fitness goals? How about letting a 17-year-old competitive powerlifter, who just so happens to have diabetes, give you the kick in the pants you need to get up and move your body for physical and mental health.
 
LeAnn Hewitt is a teen who moved to the United States when she was four years old, graduated at the top of her class in high school, and power lifts competitively. BuzzFeed recently reported that Hewitt “was recruited to join the girls weightlifting team by my current coach and former leadership teacher.” After she completed her second championship at the state level with her school, she decided to take up power lifting outside of the school setting.
 
Breaking Records
 
Not only is Hewitt powerlifting at a pro level despite her disease, she is breaking records and winning lifting championships. At the Arnold Sports Festival, Hewitt became the strongest woman in bench, squat, and dead lift as well as in total weight (at amazing 1,268 pounds) in her division.
 
Hewitt admits that she has to check herself between lifts, and during competition, to make sure her blood sugar levels are safe for lifting. She states that she also has to keep a close watch on her diet, so that she maintains appropriate blood sugar levels to power lift.
 
A Strong Support System
 
Hewitt has the support of family and friends as she power lifts her way from one competition to another. Right now, she has the Olympics on her mind, even though power lifting is not currently a sport played in the games. Hewitt advises anyone looking to increase fitness and overcome challenges to, “"Remain strong. Dream big, rise above adversity, and believe in yourself even when your goal seems unattainable.” We think this is sound and wise advice for a girl in her teen years.
 
At A4 Fitness, we want to be your partners and friends in increasing your level of fitness and overcoming adversity as it may pertain to your body or mental challenges. We welcome people of all ages, circumstances, and backgrounds to come into our Los Angeles studios and speck with us about fitness goals so we can discuss ways that we might be able to help.
 
A4 Fitness Los Angeles offers a range of fitness classes and fitness apparatuses to help you become physically and mentally stronger. Come visit us today and check out our personal training, MMA, Cross Fit, Boxing, and even Kids Boxing in Los Angeles.

One of the best ways to stay healthy and have enough energy for your workouts is by eating a balanced diet. But when you eat only vegetables, you may have some concerns about staying strong, particularly how a Vegan diet might work with cross fit or strength training. But, there are plenty of healthy and strong athletes out there, in many sports, that can vouch for the benefits of a vegan diet.
 
MMA fighter Nate Diaz and NFL defensive end David Carter are two of them. These athletes, and many others (men and women) are keeping their muscles and their entire body fueled with a vegan diet.
 
The following is a bit of information that just begins touch on the ways that a body can be fueled by plants. We encourage you to do further research on plant-based proteins, carbs, and other nutrients and see how you can incorporate them into your diet.
 
Protein and the Vegan Diet
 
Raw vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and seeds offer an amazing amount of protein for the human body, and when combined, can give an athlete a complete source of protein. Did you know that leafy greens and sprouts are made up of about 50% protein? Seeds and nuts like sesame, chia, and flax are also extremely rich in protein.  Superfoods, such as hemp and quinoa are considered “complete proteins,” because they contain all nine essential amino acids.  Even vegetables like parsley, cucumber, and artichokes contain amounts of protein that rival the protein content in animal products like milk and flesh. 
 
We do want to point out that the body’s protein requirements are actually much lower than many people realize.  By consuming an adequate number of calories from plant-based foods like those we’ve mentioned, the human body receives all of the protein it needs to functional optimally.
 
Calcium and the Vegan Diet
 
Many plants are naturally abundant in calcium, especially nuts and leafy greens. As long as a person following a vegan diet consumes an adequate amount of plants, he or she shouldn’t have to worry about getting enough calcium. Plant-based milks are often fortified with calcium, so these are great options to use in cereals and smoothies.
 
Were you aware that sesame seeds are one of the richest plant source of calcium on the planet?  Cabbage, broccoli, almonds, collard greens, and kale are also super sources of this vital mineral.  There are so many choices for calcium-rich foods, such as dandelion greens, dulse, and even prunes.
 
When you approach your workouts at A4 Fitness, in any one of our Los Angeles gyms, we would love for you to look at them as extensions of a healthy lifestyle. Which means, that your diet will also be part of keeping yourself fit. As you fuel yourself for your sessions with us at A4 Fitness, consider foods that energize and uplift, not drag the body down. That goes for meat-eaters and vegans alike.

Wondering what kinds of healthy foods you can keep in your gym bag should you need an energizing snack before or after your workout? There are some great products you can buy online or in your local grocery store, and some goodies you can whip up at home to take with you to your fitness sessions and classes at A4 Fitness in Los Angeles.
 
When you head to the gym for a workout, it’s important that you plan for your sustenance as well as your fitness training routine. It doesn’t take long, or much work, to stock up on some nutrient-rich snacks (or prep a few on your own) and pack them while you’re packing your workout gear. Take time to make sure you’ll be fueled for a few hours if need be, so that you can have sustained energy throughout your gym sessions, and your stomach, mind, and muscles with thank you.
 
The following are a few ideas for healthy snacks and energizing drinks that you can keep with you as workout at A4 Fitness.  
 
Granola
 
There are quite a few great granolas out there, but we especially love Nature’s Path Organic Love Crunch Granola. It tastes amazing and has a nice, flavorful, blend of bitter chocolate, fruity berries, and toasty oats. It offers a good balance of energizing carbs, muscle-building protein, and great-for-your-digestive-system fiber. And, it’s made with Omega-3-rich flax seeds for excellent brain and heart health.
 
Trail Mix
 
Essential Living Foods’s Superberry Symphony organic trail mix is delicious, and it’s packed with vitamins and energy-producing foods like fruits and nuts. We go crazy over the combination of antioxidant-rich goji berries and mulberries in this train mix. The whole food trail mix is one that will fill you up on its own or keep you satisfied until you have time for a larger meal.
 
Energy Bar
 
For on-the-go energy bars, turn to AmazingGrass Green SuperFood Bars. These bars come in a variety of flavors, but a couple of the best are the Sweet & Savory Almond (it’s like a healthy Snickers bar) and the Café Mocha. AmazingGrass Green SuperFood Bars are loaded with nutritious ingredients like nuts, barley grass, wheat grass, alfalfa, green tea, maca, and more.
 
Matcha Hydration Drink
 
To stay hydrated and energized, make a homemade matcha green tea drink at home and keep it with you in a thermos or glass water bottle. It’s easy to blend up a matcha energy drink on the fly. Simply mix 2 cups of pure coconut water with 1 tablespoon of matcha green tea powder. Add a touch of natural sweetener, such as maple syrup, if you like. Matcha green tea powder mixes into liquids best in a high-speed blender.
 
Water with Lemon
 
Of course, you should always have fresh water with you during your workouts. Want something to perk up your water (and your body and mind) while you’re at the gym? Throw a slice of lemon into your bottle.
 
Keep one or more of these energizing snacks and drinks with you at all times during your workouts at A4 Fitness so that you’re tummy (and the rest of your body) is always nourished, which means you can keep your focus on your exercise.
 
For more tips on staying healthy, keep checking back with us on our A4 Fitness blog and stop into our A4 Fitness studios in Los Angeles.