In older age where hormonal issues and lower bone density along with other painful diseases make it difficult to move, you cannot take something as difficult as a combat-based game. After 40, your body loses its flexibility completely and any effort to retain the flexibility can be very painful. Apart from this, you will also have to go through extreme workouts just to make simple progress. However, multiple pieces of research explain that BJJ is the best for people after 40. BJJ has an anti-aging effect which means that you will be able to recover from the pain and gain back flexibility. Although you will feel extreme soreness in your body you will eventually see improvement as well.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is known to be the modern take on traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. Most professionals say that BJJ is one of the toughest combat games and your body needs to be very fit to master this art. This is the reason most people their older age think that BJJ is not for them. There is no doubt that in older age you might struggle more and the pain is also inevitable especially if you have low bone density or some joint issue. Another important thing is the fact that in old age, exercises, where you have to put pressure on your joints, can be very painful. For improvement in technique and skill, you also need to be very consistent with your training.
With the help of this article, we will help you understand why BJJ is the best possible option for you in your later 40s. Apart from this, we will also explain simple reasons why BJJ is relatively better than other possible exercises. We have sorted out some simple benefits that will help you distinguish BJJ from other combat games as well.
Top 9 Reasons You Need to Join BJJ After Your 40s
According to a geriatrician, older age makes the body fragile. You start to lose bone density and your hormones start to make you feel weak. Apart from this, even the slightest pain becomes unbearable and your body functions also get slow. However, exercises like BJJ can help the body in multiple ways, to help you know in detail, there are the top 9 ways you will see Brazilian jiu-jitsu transforming your body in your late 40s.
Anti-Ageing Affect
BJJ helps in increasing blood circulation which as a result improves the healing speed. In case of pain or injury, it heals faster and similar is the case with skin and other organs. With better circulation and improved healing, the blood supplies nourishment faster which as a result helps in improving health. Even the skin and eyesight improve and you will see improvement in strength as well. Overall BJJ is an excellent full-body workout that helps in reducing the effect of age.
Increase Bone Density
One of the major issues in older age is linked with bone density. At an older age, the bones lose their ability to absorb calcium due to deficiency of vitamin D and as a result, you will see the bones thinning. Eventually, this impacts your daily activities and even if you try to move or perform your daily tasks, you have to put in more effort than usual. However, with the help of BJJ, you will be able to stimulate your bones to absorb more calcium which will eventually impact your health and you will see improvement in bone health.
Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular Issues
According to the world health organization, the leading cause of death globally is heart attack. With older age, you will see that metabolism slows down and the body loses its ability to work faster, eventually, the body starts to accumulate fat and this impacts the health as well. With the help of BJJ, you will be able to come back to your ideal BMI by losing weight and burning all the extra calories. Apart from this, BJJ works as a litmus test for cardiovascular health and it also helps in improving your health by reducing the fat content in your blood.
Maintaining Blood Sugar Level
People with blood sugar issues usually have low acceptance of insulin or in some condition insulin is not produced at all. With the help of BJJ, all the extra blood sugar that is present in the blood is used through exercise and this also helps in improving insulin production. Overall, people with type 2 diabetes can see improvement in maintaining their blood sugar levels.
Maintaining Blood Cholesterol Level
Another major issue that people face in old age is the rise in blood cholesterol levels which eventually impact blood pressure and can become a cause of cardiovascular issues as well. With the help of BJJ, you will be able to burn all the extra fat that is causing the increase in blood cholesterol levels.
Body Flexibility
As the body starts aging, it starts losing flexibility. As a result, injuries and pains get worse with time. Even the slightest movement in the body or lifting weight can cause permanent injury. With the help of BJJ, you are trying to help your body gain back flexibility which will eventually help you to improve pain and reduce the likelihood of an injury.
Staying Active
At an older age, the body becomes easily tired, and most people complain that they feel lethargic throughout the day. As a result, feeling low energy becomes the biggest issue and people start to avoid exercise altogether; however, with just 30 minutes daily BJJ session, you will feel that you are active throughout the day and you are ready for the daily chores as well.
Staying Focused
Staying focused is one of the most important challenges that most people face when they age. With no work to do all the negative energy gets accumulated within the body and it becomes difficult to let go of the negative emotions. However, with BJJ you will be able to exert all the negative energy and this will help you stay positive and more focused.
Improvement in Mental Health
BJJ has proved to be ideal for mental health. Several studies indicate a strong relationship between BJJ and reduction in mental health issues especially depression and anxiety
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, it is safe to say that BJJ will take a toll on your body and you will see the impact within a few months. Most people start to lose weight and reach their optimum BMI and start to think maybe they are ill. However, after the first three months, your body gets used to the workout, and that is when you start to feel better about yourself. From the change in your posture to the anti-aging effect, you will see that your body is not only responding better but is also working in a much better way. Older grapplers explain that they have seen improvement in their daily household tasks because they started working out through BJJ. They also feel more active and more energetic throughout the day. One of the best benefits is the reduction in the chance of cardiovascular issues along with low cholesterol and low-fat content. Even doctors are telling people to start BJJ training in their later 40s so that they can see improvement in their body flexibility and body function, especially breathing and digestion.
