Martial arts training, as with all exercise regimens, will benefit your body proportionate to how much effort you are willing to put forth. There are many forms of martial arts, with new versions of those forms being developed. Depending on your fitness experience and your goal in training in martial arts, you may find some forms more difficult or intense than others. Finding the one that is the most challenging for you is a process of trial and error.
Cardiovascular
Getting an aerobic workout that keeps your heart rate up for the duration of class can be achieved in a cardio-kickboxing session. The challenge in these classes is that there is little downtime as you move quickly from one high-energy exercise to the next, incorporating boxing moves with explosive plyometrics and abdominal work. Cardio kickboxing is an effective martial arts class for those looking to lose weight as it burns significant calories. Improved endurance in other sports or styles of martial arts can be expected with regular attendance.
Strength
Strength is improved with consistent attendance in most martial arts classes, but arguably the strongest martial artists study Brazilian jiujitsu. With similarities to wrestling, jiujitsu is performed almost entirely on the ground, using your body to apply submission holds on opponents. Locks, holds and positions are taught progressively according to your level of experience, but the techniques become irrelevant if one opponent is disproportionately stronger than the other. Continual training in mixed-level classrooms will quickly improve your strength and offer a challenge not found in sparring-based martial arts classes.
Total Body
Challenging your whole body through constant movement and intense use of your upper and lower body, capoeira may be among the most difficult martial arts to master. Fighting in capoeira is referred to as play and looks like dancing, but the intensity of the workout is not to be taken lightly. Capoeira practitioners improve their flexibility and strength through acrobatic movements that rely heavily on quadriceps and shoulder strength, always returning to the backbone move of capoeira, the "ginga," which keeps fighters in constant motion. A wide variety of movements are performed in each class, making for a highly difficult total-body workout.
Considerations
All martial arts exercise programs should be approached with caution and clearance from your doctor. There are schools that rely heavily on fighting and sparring, and others in which you work entirely independently. Most schools will allow you at least one free trial lesson before committing to their program, and it is important to take advantage of that offer at several kinds of schools to find one that works best for you. Discuss your goals with your instructor so he has an idea of how far he can push you in training.
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