Benefits of Training Muay Thai

The popularity of Muay Thai has grown over the last couple of years. One of the main reasons is likely due to the immerse mind and body benefits that comes with it.

Muay Thai is a national sport of Thailand which is also known as “the art of eight limbs” because of the consistent use of a pair of fists, elbows, knees, and shins.

Many questioned about the safety of training Muay Thai, and the injuries that comes with it. Muay Thai is generally a safe sport to practice, however, if you are looking to compete the in scene then, the injury may be gruesome and serious in nature. Nevertheless, if your objective is to stay fit, lose weight and be a healthier version of yourself, and with safety gears on, you are generally at minimal risk.

If you are generally new to the sport, it is recommended that you do not train every day as your body needs time to recover. Take breaks in between training days and allow your body to settle before training again. While professional fighters train twice a day for 6 days a week, it takes time to build up your body’s strength to train at similar intensity as them. As a rule of thumb, you can always start by training 3 times a week, and when you feel comfortable, increasing it to 5 times a week.

That’s a brief introduction about Muay Thai. Now, let’s dive into how Muay Thai can benefit you.

1. Muay Thai is a great self-defense mechanism

Muay Thai training helps you to develop the necessary self-defense tactics and helps you to build awareness around your surroundings. You will be equipped with the strategic knowledge on the use of 8 limbs to defend yourself.

2.  Muay Thai increases your Cardiovascular system

Muay Thai is a great combination of aerobic and anaerobic workout which offers strength and endurance. Running, skipping and shadow boxing provides a great form of aerobic workout and punching, kicking, elbowing, and kneeing the bags and/or pads provides you with an immerse anaerobic workout.

The aerobic and anaerobic workout helps increase the overall cardiovascular performance of your body, while developing your stamina and strength that is required for the optimal function of the human body.

3. Muay Thai is a great stress relief- it releases endorphins

Muay Thai helps you to increase your metabolism, improve your strength, endurance, lose weight and tone up your body, it is also a good form of stress relief.

Punching and kicking the bags/pads are not only a great form of anaerobic workout, it also causes your body to increase the production of endorphins which helps you to lift your spirit.

4. Muay Thai can be your route to having great abs

Having great abs may be your goal and doing sit ups alone can only get you so far.

Muay Thai might possibly aid you in your journey to having greats abs although it doesn’t focus on doing sit ups alone to train the muscles. Your core muscles are engagement most of the time during your training as you rotate your core to punch, kick, knee, and elbow; naturally developing your core strength.

In addition, hitting the bags and pads will emphasize on developing your fast twitch muscle fibers that helps to burn fats and build abdominal muscles. In addition to diet control, you will relatively be able to see the results.

5. Muay Thai keeps you in your best physical shape

Muay Thai constantly challenges your body to its best capability. As you progress and learn new techniques and tactics, you constantly improve your techniques when it gets better you will be able to perform multiple long combinations.

6. Muay Thai helps you to improve your flexibility, coordination, and balance

Practicing roundhouse kicks help you to improve your flexibility. In addition, the constant changes between punching, kicking, kneeing, and elbowing increases your coordination and balance.

There’s no end to getting better and the intensity of the sessions does not get easier as you progress- this is mainly due to the improvement in your technique; hence you can focus on executing the techniques with power and speed which challenges your body to keep up. This cycle keeps pushing your body to be in the best physical shape.