Kick your workouts up a notch

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Kristina Haar

Want to add martial arts to your fitness regimen but don't know the difference between tai chi and tae kwon do? First consider your physical attributes, spiritual needs and philosophical interests, suggests James Hom, a www.about.com guide who has practiced martial arts for more than a decade.

* Do you want to kick and punch? Try karate, tae kwon do or kung fu.

* Are you comfortable being touched by other students? In some arts like kyudo, there's no contact at all. In others like Brazilian jiujitsu, you'll spend all your training time in near-intimate contact with your partner.

* What feels the most comfortable for your bodytype, strength and flexibility? If you're stocky and powerful, grappling arts might be a natural fit. If you're tall and limber, you may find your leg flexibility put to good use in tae kwon do.

* How much damage do you want to take--or dish out? Muai thai kickboxing is renowned for the devastation you can inflict; in aikido, you use your opponents' own momentum against them.

* What are your spiritual and philosophical goals? Aikido, kyudo and iaido allow almost religious experiences in the focus and flow of executing techniques. Others, like krav maga, are purely practical.

Find some schools in your area and attend some classes; most facilities should let you watch or even work out once or twice for free or a small fee. Check out what each style is really like before making your decision. Then get ready to enjoy the enhanced clarity of thought, improved focus and sense of inner peace that come from martial-arts study.

FROM THE WORLD OF RESEARCH--THE LATEST FINDINGS FOR WOMEN IN THE FIELDS OF EXERCISE, BEAUTY, NUTRITION, PSYCHOLOGY AND HEALTH

COMPILED BY KRISTINA HAAR