Forget Football, Baseball and Basketball. It is Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) that has now captured the heart of the nation. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), there were over 2,2 million core MMA for Fitness participants in the U.S. over the age of 13.
Given that only a third of children get some sort of physical exercise every day and only 5% of adults participate in at least half an hour of physical activity daily, the rise in participation in MMA can only be a good thing. Participation across all forms of martial arts differs, but is growing. Over 18 million Americans took part in karate or another martial art at least once in the last year. Over 28% of adults surveyed did martial arts activities “every chance I can”, and among teenagers, a quarter of boys and over 20% of teen girls did martial arts in the last year.
Cardio kickboxing, which not only burns calories, but also increases muscle strength, is also increasing in popularity with over 6.3 million participants over the age of six in 2013; 55% of cardio kickboxing participants are college graduates. These and other variations on martial arts are making it easier and more enjoyable for even the biggest couch potato to get in on the martial arts trend.
Starting MMA may seem daunting but, it has never been easier to buy MMA gear online, whether it is sparring gear or other MMA sports equipment, with a variety of MMA online stores springing up to meet the needs of the growing number of participants. Those who opt to buy MMA gear online can often benefit from special offers and discounts.