For many, the weight loss process is a lonely endeavor. It is always you against the scale, the treadmill, and your calories. While as great as the process is for the body, it sucks the mind out. The hunger is lost because the process becomes more of a punishment.
But what if fitness wasn’t a fight against yourself. What if it was about discovery, learning and becoming aware of a strength that you never knew you had. That’s the personal revolution that comes when weight loss and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu come together. It’s not about calorie burning but how to create a new lifestyle.
The Physical Change
When others hear the term “weight loss” they interpret it in terms of running miles or lifting weights in silence. However, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a different world all together and many people call it the human chess for good reasons. During a five-minute round roll, you are continuously moving, thinking, and reacting, making it a whole-body puzzle.
BJJ Can Help You Lose Weight & Clear Mind
Your body is getting the benefits of an incredible workout before you ever realize it. You will use your arms to steer, your core to brace, and your legs to push. This shouldn’t be mistaken as an isolation training because it is a symphony of harmonious movements. You are building functional strength that gets you moving the furniture, playing with the kids, and being strong in your own skin.
Weight loss is a byproduct because the workout is so much fun, you don’t even notice the time. You’ve been on the mats for an hour, and you are already several hundred calories in debt and fully in the present. The true metrics of success involves the new muscle you gain, how your clothes fit, and overall mobility.
The Mental Shift
This is where the magic truly begins. Although the physical change does occur, participants become addicted to the mental change more. Hitting the mats for the first time can be intimidating. Doing so is opening yourself up to an area you don’t know any answers to. You will be exhausted and be lost the majority of the time, and this is what the entire process is about.
BJJ helps you develop problem-solving, level-headed thinking under stress. When somebody is trying to pass your guard and you lose your cool, it only makes it harder. You get used to breathe, see and react slowly. This does not stay on the mats but carries on to life.
Have a persistent deadline looming overhead and driving you crazy? The situation won’t be that bad because you know how to get your head moving in a jammed situation. You have a higher level of poise and refinement in approaching a difficult conversation. BJJ teaches you that it is alright to be in the wrong position. It is not the art of trouble avoidance, but the art of getting out of trouble. It gives you a good, solid confidence. You get to know what you can accept and live with by being assertive but firm and unyielding.
The Circle of Support
In comparison to a solo workout, BJJ is not something to be done alone. You require partners who provide you with an established community. They follow the same route towards a brighter future by learning together and pushing each other to their best potential. We’re all on the same playing ground here, all brought together by the objective of improvement.
This group of people will provide you with a great source of body and mind inspiration. On a low-willpower day, you will know that your training partners will be expecting you. This will provide you with the right motivation to get to the studio. They share in your victories and see you through the dips. It is this sense of belonging to something that the journey then turns so magical and memorable. The fitness and weight loss are no longer a chore, but second nature to being healthy.
Your journey towards being better should not be a solitary grind. It can be a fun, inspiring, and freeing habit that makes you a better you not just physically, but as a whole person too. It’s all about bringing out a fit and fierce personality that you never knew you had and were just waiting to have unleashed by the challenge.
Looking for a good community to transform your body and mind? Consider training BJJ with us at Gracie Barra Tacoma. We are a family dedicated to helping you become the strongest and most confident version of yourself.
