HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--GUEST AUTHOR ANDREA R. COOPER ON MARTIAL ARTS

Andrea R. Cooper has always loved creating characters and stories. She writes romantic suspense, fantasy, paranormal and historical romance. Currently, she has a yellow belt in Karate and a green belt in Muay Thai. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

Ready to Try a New Exercise?

Bored hitting the treadmill or stationary bike and never getting anywhere? I was a few years ago before I discovered an exercise that not only worked cardio, but strength, flexibility, and mental agility.

Martial Arts.

Now don’t run screaming or shaking your head. Hear me out, please.

Martial Arts offer a range of physical and mental fitness that will not be boring. Years ago, my son’s martial arts school opened adult classes. Now, I only had to decide which one, since do to time and money, I could only afford one.

Karate – I’d taken classes before. While I did enjoy the class, there wasn’t much cardio. This would be a good starter class.

Boxing – Men definitely out-number the women here. Not that it’s a bad thing, but I was (and am) married, so I had no interest in combining fighting with flirting.

Jiujutsu – Interesting. But same with boxing. And having to roll around on the ground, sweating with a stranger, not my idea of fun. That’s best left between me and my husband.

Muay Thai – Elements of boxing and karate, including knees and elbows. A more equal ratio of men to women.

So which class did I choose? Muay Thai.

Why?

There were more women in this class. It was high-paced, so definitely cardio intense. Since it focuses on kicks and punchesm I was training both parts of my body instead of just arms as I would have in boxing. Since knees and elbows are used, it would be good to have that knowledge and experience in a fight or dangerous encounter. There are strong women whose Muay Thai background helped them win an MMA title: Gina Carano and Cristiane Justino Venancio.

To me, it’s a well-rounded, whole-body workout.

I gathered my knowledge of fighting into my character Crystal of Stolen Hearts. In order to prove her father’s innocence, she becomes a thief. But her training doesn’t end with picking locks and decoding alarms; she trained in all the martial arts.

Stolen Hearts

Crystal has spent her entire life training to be a thief in order to find evidence against the man who had her parents murdered. In her pursuit of justice she's had to give up her identity, her name, and any chance at love. When Crystal is forced on a blind date with the cop who is investigating her, she plays a dangerous game of hearts that could land her in a prison cell.

Kade is in search of a new life, after losing his partner. He's taken a new job, in a new city, and met a new girl. In order to keep his fresh start, he will have to catch an elusive thief targeting one of the largest corporations in the country. Desperate to forget the failures of his past, Kade has no intention of failing.

But secrets can’t be hidden forever.

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