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What are the benefits of Aikido?
Aikido is good for your body just like any sport or martial art is: it is of course good for your heart and lungs, many of your muscles are sollicited... It also helps preventing some health problems like obesity, diabetes or anxiety. You may also get more confident and increase your ability to focus.
Aikido also aims at improving people in their everyday life: the aikidoka should aim at bettering himself on as well as off the mat, in his relationships, in his attitude and in his soul.
You will learn your body and its limitations and how to control it. Besides, regular warming-up exercises will improve your general well-being.
As in many martial arts you will also learn how to breakfall in several directions, that is fall without hurting yourself and avoid injuries to vital parts even when you are not on the mat. Breakfalling can become a reflex that can help protect your spine and skull: better break an arm than your spine, after all...
A martial practice asks for a relaxed body to minimize injuries (on and off the mat) and be free to act and react at once if you need to.
With Aikido you will learn how to breathe with your stomach (which also massages your intestines and helps your digestion...) and improve your balance.
Aikido is also a martial art aiming at self-defence. To actually defend oneself using Aikido techniques requires years of practice, but you will quickly learn how to breakfall if necessary, and to duck and avoid attacks, including armed ones. You will be able to face one or several people without being glued on the spot but on the contrary ready to duck a blow - if not masterfully control your attacker with smooth techniques...
Be careful: depending on your country, you might get prosecuted if you are using your art in a situation that did not absolutely warrant its use. Acting before any actual attack, over-reacting, getting revenge or a disproportionate retaliation can get you in trouble.