There are many benefits to Taekwondo in terms of your mental and physical health. Physically, training your body in Taekwondo techniques helps with endurance and strength. Mentally, Taekwondo builds discipline and self-confidence and reduces stress.

Scientific studies have also regularly shown that Taekwondo can strengthen your mental abilities, helping to develop your brain by building new mental connections and increasing problem-solving capabilities. This is yet another benefit of Taekwondo that can help children and teens at school and adults at work to increase their performance across many aspects of their lives.

How Taekwondo Builds Brain Power

Taekwondo is a workout, but unlike other aerobic exercises, Taekwondo is the only one that scientific studies have shown works out your brain as well as your body. Depending on a student’s age, these are some of the ways that Taekwondo will strengthen your brain:

• Coordination – This is especially important for younger students. Taekwondo requires you to move your hands and feet in separate, coordinated movements, which can be a challenge for the brain. Practicing this leads to the part of the brain that connects both hemispheres, called the corpus callosum, to become better developed.
• Improve Neural Connections – When you practice Taekwondo and release dopamine and other neurotransmitters, these enable your brain to strengthen existing neural connections and build new connections. These are part of what helps keep your brain sharp and makes it easier to learn new skills, whether in taekwondo or in another part of your life.
• Memory – In Taekwondo, students have to remember a number of movements and different forms. Memorizing these can boost overall memorization abilities for better school performance and easier recall overall.
• Problem Solving – Many activities in taekwondo will require you to problem solve, such as sparing with a partner or determining how you are going to sharpen a skill. This can make your problem solving skills more acute as well.
• Faster Thinking – When you are sparring, you will have to assess a situation and respond appropriately, often within less than a second. You will develop this capability in Taekwondo, but students can also use it whenever confronted with problems to quickly assess the situation and come up with a solution.

These skills are in addition to the other mental health benefits of Taekwondo, such as perseverance which can help you stick with difficult challenges, and self confidence which gives you the assurance that you can overcome problems you are confronted with. The stress reduction that comes from martial arts exercises also keeps your mind clear and better prepared to process more pressing issues.

At Master P’s World Class Tae Kwon Do in West Chester, PA, these are natural results of practicing in our taekwondo classes for all ages where you or your younger students will get a great mental and physical workout. You can learn more about how Taekwondo will work your mind with a free trial week at our West Chester studio. Enroll online today to begin.