HOW TRAIL RUNNING CAN IMPROVE YOUR MARTIAL ARTS AND OVERALL ATHLETISICM
by:Nathan Chi Lam
Living in Mississauga Ontario there isn't much nature around especially during the winter months. During the spring summer and fall i like to make best use of whatever nature there is. Luckily i found some really good trail systems close to where i live around the credit river. As a martial artist we mainly spend our times indoors training but during my off days i like to go outdoors and do some trail running. I have been Trail running for over 10 years now and i can say that it really has improve to martial arts abilities.
First you need to find a good pair of outdoor running shoes with good grip at the bottoms, Hiking shoes are ok but they are a bit heavy. During your run you will encounter many natural obstacles like uphills and downhills, this forces your muscles, heart and lungs to work harder. On the uphills your building your anaerobic power aerobic endurance along with that your quads hams and glut will develop more power. On the downhills your building your stopping power in your muscles with all the eccentric muscle contractions.
Along the way you will also encounter logs, rocks and puddles of all sizes, you must zig zag and jump around them using all sorts of stabilizers in your ankles, knees, hips and also core. I can tell you some of my best workouts dont involve being in a gym but being outdoors moving around these natural obstacles. Along with the obstacles you also need to contend with the weather, sometimes it rains, sometimes its windy and sometimes is really cold or hot. this change in weather forces you to become mentally tougher to fight through the uncomfortable feelings.
Finally after all of that you get beautiful views and vistas to look at while your running and also after you finish. That feeling you cant recreate inside a gym. After training this for over a decade i can say that my martial arts ability would not be as good if i haven't done it at all. Martial arts training is all about mind body and spirit and i can say with confidence that training in the natural outdoor environment trains all of it, especially after having a stressful day theirs nothing like taking in a beautiful sunset while you train outdoors.
I challenge you to try it out for yourself sometime, even if you end up walking half the time its still a great experience, you will feel more alive then ever and will end up loving the great outdoors again while improving your athleticism.