The slow-moving martial art has long reputed to have health benefits, with studies showing it has a positive effect on everything from blood pressure and depression to heart disease. But it burns calories at a slow rate – just 198 an hour. Swap it for cycling, speci cally off-road, and you’ll burn the same number of calories in just 22 minutes. Pedalling works most of the main muscles in the legs, including the quadriceps, calves and gluteal muscles, without the load-bearing stress of an activity such as running.
