Kung Fu For Fitness

This is my true favorite thing. As someone who has been a competitive athlete in many sports- football, track, soccer, basketball- and has been a personal fitness trainer for 20 years, I will say that NO work-out has been as fulfilling and complete as Kung Fu. Doing Kung Fu (the true meaning is 'high level of skill attained through hard work over time') has gotten me into the best all-around physical shape of my life. I can still run 4 miles in a hlaf hour, I can do a full split, I am able to do (last time I tested) 82 push-ups in one minute. Yet, most of my training has come from doig Kung Fu. How is this? There is a training principle called 'specificity of training'. This means that you get strong in the way that you train. If you bike a lot, you will get improve at that but not, necessarily at running. Swimming will not help your running. Bench pressing 350 pounds will not help you sprint. Nor will it make you punch harder. Kung Fu and all of it's different motions has so many that I could take almost any sport and show a kung fu method/technique that would simulate an aspect of that sport and could be used to improve it. You will develop am awareness of your body that only dancers and gymnasts have. Balance, coordination, flexability, endurance, explosive power, core strength and so many other physical areas will improve. Concentration, memory and your ability to relax under stress will all improve. Add to this that you will learn to defend yourself in physical and mental confrontations.
Look for a good kung fu school and give it a try. You just may find something different that has enough variety to keep you interested but enough stability to allow for you to see your progress.