Taekwondo is a full body exercise. On the mat, you will work all of your major muscle groups as well as your mind. But this does not mean that you should limit all your exercise to Taekwondo alone. Living an active lifestyle, no matter which activities you do, will help keep you in overall great shape and improve your Taekwondo abilities.

Whether you are training regularly or attend class more sporadically, there are a few specific activities that complement Taekwondo better than others and are a great way to supplement Taekwondo training if you are looking for additional ways to get active.

Activities to Help with Taekwondo

Taekwondo requires physical abilities such as body control, flexibility, and endurance, so practicing any sport that also relies on these abilities will simultaneously improve your martial arts performance. This can include team sports like soccer or basketball, but if you are looking for some lower impact options that you can do on your own and make a part of your weekly routine in addition to Taekwondo, these are some great ones to try:

• Yoga – Yoga is a good complement to any physical activity, including martial arts. The gentle stretching and exercises will boost your flexibility and muscle strength. Yoga also focuses on calming the mind and focusing the mind, which is ideal for the discipline necessary in Taekwondo. Yoga can range from high intensity to slow flow, so you can choose the type of routine that best works with the way you train.
• Conditioning – Conditioning with activities like weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, HIIT training, and others is a great way to focus on specific areas of your body that you may find underperforming during Taekwondo training. With conditioning, you can build up muscle strength and bone strength in certain areas, as well as improve endurance, which can help you overcome any blocks that are holding you back in Taekwondo.
• Running – Basic cardio like running builds up your endurance, which will help you feel more energized throughout Taekwondo practice. You can run outside or on a treadmill. Biking and swimming offer all of the same benefits as running, but are lower impact on the joints, making them especially good as recovery exercises on your days off from Taekwondo.

All of these exercises can help boost your Taekwondo performance. You also do not need to be in fantastic shape to begin taekwondo or even get good at it. Taekwondo training at Master P’s World Class Tae Kwon Do can help you get where you need to be just by regularly showing up to training and giving it your all. As you get more into martial arts, you may find that you naturally want to take on more activities so that you can continue improving.

For those looking to try martial arts, Master P’s World Class Tae Kwon Do offers a free trial week of classes so that you can get started seeing how martial arts can begin to improve your physical fitness.