The 10 Benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Work from Home Mums

As mums, we have a special set of circumstances to face. We don’t always feel like we completely belong in our two worlds: our work life and our family. And there’s the constant struggle of socialising and being around other mums at playdates.

But there are things you can do to help you feel more confident about yourself and to help improve your emotional and physical wellbeing.

Exercise is a great way to do this, so why not try something a bit different such as martial arts?

To help you get started here is our list of benefits that come with practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

 

Why Practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Working from home might seem like the ideal way to avoid the stress of the workplace, but it can also be extremely isolating.

The lack of socialization and support networks can be hard on your health, not to mention the mental toll it can take on your wellbeing. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to keep yourself feeling valued and connected to the outside world.

One of these ways is by learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a sport that can help you build confidence, lose weight, and will definitely increase your self-defense skills.

While such a strenuous regime might seem intimidating at first, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a practical discipline that anyone can learn—even ever busy working moms.

From enhanced flexibility to better concentration and improved balance and coordination, BJJ will help transform your body and your life for the better.

Still not convinced that BJJ is right for you?

Well, believing that every great journey starts demands initial motivation. So, here are ten benefits that working from home mums can reap from the all-too-choreographed BJJ art.

 

The Unrivaled Benefits of BJJ for Work at Home Mums

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) has been at the forefront of martial arts since it was created in the early 20th century. As a form of self-defense, it was made to help individuals overcome bigger and stronger opponents, which it does with great effect because of its grappling techniques.

But this martial art also has several other benefits that can benefit working mothers especially well, so if you’re looking to improve your health, learn something new, or combat stress, these are 10 benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for work from home mums.

 

Benefit #1 – Reduce The Stress Of Working From Home

Modern life is stressful—we get it. The fact that you are working from home might have sounded like a dream come true to get away from corporate stress, but it can be equally draining.

From kids demanding attention and chores piling up to missing deadlines, balancing work and family demands will always feel impossible at times.

BJJ can help with all that.

Practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or any type of physical exercise reduces psychological stresses significantly

It does this by releasing hormones such as serotonin and dopamine in your brain, which leave you happier and less stressed after each class.

When your mind is at ease, you’ll find yourself more focused on work and less stressed about other issues in your life, meaning there will be no need for alarm clock snoozes!

So, what’s better than kickboxing out some frustrations?

No one said success was easy! But if you do put in hard work, then these benefits will surely follow – a healthy body leads to a healthy mind after all.

 

Benefit #2 – Increase Your Confidence & Self-Esteem

Learning anything new takes time to understand concepts and master techniques but doing so helps build self-confidence while also increasing mental strength.

​​What makes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu different is that every day offers you a new challenge. You could be learning new moves or improving existing techniques.

Even if your progress is slow, know that every session moves you towards your bigger goals. The benefits are well beyond just weight loss or increased flexibility.

Because Brazilian jiu-jitsu allows you to do what most sports don’t—tackling, grappling, and ground fighting.

Feel empowered knowing that no one can hurt you without your consent.

Further still, constantly challenging yourself by testing past limits means an endless supply of confidence boosters as everything becomes achievable with hard work.

Next time someone tries to interrupt your flow, bite back with confidence!

 

Benefit #3 – Burn Calories Like Crazy

Don’t underestimate how much exercise goes into every 10 minutes of sparring practice!

BJJ takes training in both muscle groups and cardiovascular endurance to an entirely new level, giving students skills they never thought possible before.

Whether you train during lunch breaks or late at night when your child finally passes out from exhaustion, it’s bound to burn tons of calories while helping you stay fit.

When you have a busy schedule learning a skill that can be applied to real-life situations makes working out far more rewarding.

After all, there’s nothing more annoying than going through so much effort just so people can admire your abs from afar without knowing any better!

The satisfaction of having skills under control is reason enough for most women to start practicing jiu-jitsu as well as many other martial arts – not necessarily because they want to look good but because it feels good as well as effective too.

Overall, jiu-jitsu will help boost self-esteem by improving strength and reducing stress levels.

Something that can be easily done by squeezing in a few precious hours each week instead of grabbing a coffee run down the street every time you’re feeling overwhelmed at work.

 

Benefit #4 – Increase Your Flexibility

Are you one of those people who let fitness take a backseat while they focus on more important things like family and work?

Sure, we’ve all been there. But one aspect you can’t forget about is flexibility.

Studies have shown that even if you try your best to live a healthy lifestyle but aren’t flexible, it can lead to various health problems in later life, such as arthritis or weakened muscles which are common in seniors.

It goes without saying that being flexible helps prevent injury, especially when stretching regularly after every Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class, to keep muscles loose enough, so they don’t pull during tough training sessions.

All forms of physical activity improve circulation, which is good for flexibility, but certain activities will have an even greater impact on overall flexibility than others.

For example, running increases ankle range of motion, whereas yoga increases hip range of motion.

Increased flexibility means better posture and reduced chance of strains, tears, and other injuries over time.

 

Benefit #5 – Boost Energy Levels

BJJ is hard work; there’s no doubt about it. But if you can make it through a class without passing out at least once (my personal best is twice), chances are you’ll be even more motivated after class, with a renewed sense of energy for the entire day!

Strength training like the one offered by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu increases lean muscle mass, which in turn increases your metabolism and allows you to burn more calories each day.

Plus, knowing you have a regular workout coming up will encourage you to eat better, which means more good stuff for your body!

The real benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu come from consistency – never give up!

Granted, every woman reacts differently to lack of motivation, so you may get discouraged when times are tough, but think about how much worse it would be if you did nothing?

The worst thing a person can do when they have a busy schedule or feel too busy to get off their butt is to do nothing because doing nothing doesn’t make things easier or less stressful overnight.

Sure, pushing yourself during a workout isn’t easy, but neither is working late at night because real life never gets easier simply because we prefer to avoid difficult situations by skipping workouts.

Take a deep breath and remember why you started BJJ in the first place – strength is something everyone needs whether they know it or not!

 

As a busy mum, try to schedule time as regularly as you can around family and work…

Do whatever you can on a regular basis. It will help you to feel stronger knowing that past weakness is no longer holding you back.

That means making time for self-defense classes, whatever works best for your family, including parents/children/pets, included!

Trust me when I say that one visit to a BJJ school will change everything while putting all sorts of excuses out of your mind completely.

 

Benefit #6 – Reduce Depression with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

We all have that one friend who seems to be in a good mood no matter what. They’re always up for anything, and you love to hang out with them because they’re infectious.

On top of it, they never seem to run out of energy which is why they do everything; work full time, go out almost every night, and somehow still manage to be super productive at work too!

Sound familiar?

Although we love these people dearly (because who doesn’t?), many can tend to avoid them because they don’t want their attitudes to rub off on them.

So why not learn how to adopt some of those traits instead?

 

How getting in shape can boost your self-esteem

If you think about it, getting into shape will help boost your self-esteem, which will help keep depression at bay.

You’ll also find yourself more prepared physically if an emergency happens, and mentally you will always have something positive to look forward to.

Coming from someone who has been there, nothing beats having something concrete that you enjoy doing, whether by yourself or with family/friends.

In my experience as a home mum, I’ve learned just how important motivation really is.

There’s nothing worse than being stuck inside when it’s bright and sunny outside!

By joining a regular Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class you’ll have something fun to look forward to each week – win-win!

 

Benefit #7 – Lower Blood Pressure

It’s no secret that high blood pressure is a major risk factor in developing heart disease and many other conditions.

So, what does BJJ have to do with that?

Quite a lot, actually!

Physical activity helps increase your body’s level of good cholesterol, which makes it easier for your body to absorb bad cholesterol.

On top of it, physical activity also reduces stress hormone levels linked with high blood pressure and several other chronic illnesses.

The bottom line is that by investing time into physical activity, you are doing something great not only for yourself but also for every single person around you – yay!

That includes friends, family members, children… everyone because let’s face it – you can’t take care of anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first!

Remember – it all comes down to priorities!

As work from home mums, we always find ourselves putting everything before ourselves so we can take care of our families without sacrificing anything.

However, at some point, we’re going to have to learn how to practice self-love and say ‘no’ more often.

Although I’m obviously not asking you to put yourself before your family – remember that they will appreciate having a healthier mum who’s able to enjoy more activities together.

 

Benefit #8 – Keep Your Mind Sharp With Regular Exercise

Have you ever heard anyone say that you’re as young as you feel?

While there’s obviously no magic pill or quick fix to stave off aging, physical activity helps prevent age-related health conditions and keeps minds sharp.

So, if we want to be more productive and efficient, then a great place to start is working out regularly to keep fit!

Physical activity keeps our brains healthy by helping them release neurotrophins (it may sound like a complicated term, but it’s actually quite simple – these are proteins that stimulate brain cell growth).

The end result?

You’ll be more focused and will learn quicker! Plus, exercise causes neurons in our brains to communicate better, which leads to an improvement in memory.

 

How Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu helps to keep your mind active

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with its intricate and complex moves, isn’t only great for bodies; it also helps keep your mind active too.

It improves your ability to solve problems under pressure while practicing good communication skills between partners.

Whether you’re training at home or at a local gym near you, give yourself at least an hour or two every day just for yourself to do something that brings you joy.

Maybe it’s playing with kids or learning how to DIY. Whatever it is, do something that makes you happy because life is just way too short!

After all, who said working from home mums don’t have time for themselves? We can make time no matter what! So, make it happen… NOW :))!

 

Benefit #9 – Continuous Motivation for Self-Improvement

Practicing BJJ helps improve not only physical fitness but mental and emotional health as well. It is an incredible opportunity to let go of any worries, problems, or stress from your everyday life and simply focus on what’s happening at that moment.

In that sense, BJJ is a form of moving meditation that can be quite hard to achieve when sitting at your desk in front of a computer all day long.

Remember, we need time to nurture our minds too!

So, by practicing BJJ, we benefit from exercise, and it also brings us peace and tranquillity both mentally and physically, which means we won’t feel stressed out even after sitting at our desks all day long.

 

Benefit #10 – Improve Your Self-Defense Skills

The ultimate benefit that comes with learning BJJ is self-defense.

We all want to be safe, right?

So, wouldn’t it be great if you could defend yourself and protect your loved ones in case something were to happen?

By practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, we get a chance to practice self-defense without using any weapons – we’re only using our body weight, our mind, and our opponent’s force against them.

It teaches us how to focus on what’s happening at that moment in time while being aware of how much pressure we are putting on ourselves physically.

This form of exercise helps improve mental strength, which makes us able to have more control over our bodies when needed most.

 

Are You Ready to Start Experiencing the Benefit of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits to starting BJJ as a stay-at-home mum! And even if you’re not staying at home, it still remains one of the best ways to have fun while getting in shape.

So, check out your local gym or club and start learning today! You’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll start seeing results after just a few classes.