One of the benefits of learning martial arts is an improved reflex system. A reflex or a “reflexive reaction” is a response that the body performs without conscious effort. For example, if you do a specific move enough times, it becomes a reflex for you to do it. In martial arts, there are plenty of movements and gestures performed repeatedly until they become second nature to you. Here are some great exercises to develop improved reflexes and reaction times. Hand-eye coordination improvement People can do this pretty easily—martial arts, paddle sports, and other similar activities that improve your hand-eye coordination also allow you to get accustomed to sudden movements and reactions like a reflex. A “reaction ball” exercise, for example, only requires you to stand with hips and knees bent with knees apart. Have a ball get thrown at you, and try to anticipate it to catch it as quickly as possible. Schedule some video game time A study has proven that some video games may improve a person’s reflexes. Why? Because video game activities are sudden and force you to react immediately and instinctively. It becomes a reflex for you to move when something comes toward you in a way that your brain can perceive as dangerous. Specific-action training As mentioned before, if you do an action enough times, it becomes a reflex to you. Plyometric exercises help people who do sports like martial arts to improve their reaction time. These are exercises that make use of as much muscle force as possible in under a second. One example is jump squats. As the name suggests, stand with feet apart, knees bent forward in a squat. You must place both hands behind your head. Then, with as much force as you can muster, jump up as high as you can. Doing this repeatedly gets your muscles accustomed to faster reaction. A reflex is automatic. It becomes natural to you to do it as you’ve done it so often and so many times that it’s not something you think about anymore. This is something that martial arts train into its athletes, and it’s incredibly beneficial in many ways for everyday living. Hone your reflexes by practicing martial arts. Visit Aplomb Martial Arts to find the classes nearest to you.