Top 7 Benefits of Muay Thai

The martial art that makes you stronger, faster and extremely agile!

The benefits of Muay Thai – If you are even mildly fitness conscious, then you definitely strive to be stronger. This, of course, means a healthier lifestyle, and there are many ways one can go about accomplishing this goal. Practising martial arts is definitely one of the most effective ways to become stronger and be in top health. And, if you’ve come all the way to Phuket, then perhaps you are or should be, interested in training Muay Thai, the martial art that originated from Thailand.  If so, then it is a wise decision indeed, and the benefits of Muay Thai listed below will help make your resolve to learn this martial art, even stronger!

Muay Thai was born on the battlefield more than 2,000 years ago and was known as Muay Boran before it became the national sport it is today.

What makes Muay Thai different, is its system of making the practitioner use 8 limbs instead of the standard 1 or 2. These are the pair of elbows and knees in addition to the fists and feet, which are used for close, mid and even long-range strikes along with the ‘clinch’ or grappling moves. Executing consecutive such strikes develops in the practitioners of this martial art, exceptional athletic qualities which in turn provides most of the benefits of Muay Thai, which we have mentioned below. 

I’m sure by now you’ve begun to realise there is much more to this martial art than just the intense excitement the ring matches generate. With the benefits of Muay Thai, mentioned below, you will be much well-informed about the health and fitness advantages of this martial art.

THE TOP 7 BENEFITS OF MUAY THAI

It Boosts The Performance Of Your Cardiovascular System

Your understanding of cardio training will reach a whole new level once you start training in Muay Thai. It requires you to condition your body with long sessions of cardio activities such as running, kicking, jumping ropes etc.. This is because, without an extraordinary level of stamina and endurance, you will not be able to pull off all the consecutive kicks, jabs and other Muay Thai moves effectively.

Muay Thai being an aerobic as well as an anaerobic activity puts the cardiopulmonary system under immense stress. However, over time, with regular practice, your body begins to adapt to these new conditions by boosting up your cardiovascular as well as the central nervous system. Which means that your tolerance levels get boosted and you can keep going much longer than you could do before.

It Gives You Massive Leg Strength

One look at a Muay Thai match, and it is easy to see that kicks, footwork and basically, the entire lower body plays a significant role in executing the various moves of this martial art. Learning the many kicks involved in Muay Thai, along with the hard training and conditioning required to perfectly execute them, results in the entire musculature of the lower body being massively strengthened

So if it’s is about getting great looking calves, increased kicking force or improved agility – you can completely rely on Muay Thai to deliver!

It Increases The Mobility Of Your Hips

Over time, with regular practice of the various kicks and strikes using the knee, will help increase your hip mobility. This is very useful in preventing many injuries and other medical conditions that co.e with age. By increasing your hip mobility, Muay Thai also ensures you end up using all 3 planes of motion which are needed for overall fitness as well as for combat!

Of course, Muay Thai does also put your body under a lot of strain. That is why you should consider some activities to release any excess stress. So go for the occasional massage, or even save up on the masseuse cost by using the foam rolling method instead. And if you have the budget, check out float therapy to give your body a complete relaxation and rejuvenation experience.

It Improves Your Balance

Muay Thai requires you to perform many consecutive kicks using the same leg. Which means, for long stretches at a time, you need to stand on one foot while kicking with the other. Any activity that has you standing on one foot for long will improve your balance.

Of course, not being able to maintain balance while performing those Muay Thai kicks can result in falling and injury. In an official match, you might even lose points, and in real-life combat, the price to pay can be much higher. That is why Muay Thai incorporates such strict and tiresome training to ensure you got solid balance. Thus the Muay Thai training also prevents any injuries you would’ve have experienced due to lack of balance.

It Makes Your Core Super Strong

The ‘core’ has become a popular term to refer to the 6 or 8 pack of Abs. This, however, is very frustrating and irritating for us genuine trainers. That is because, we know that the core refers to each of the muscle on your trunk and not only the abs, which is what makes core strength such a formidable quality. 

In Muay Thai, the many consecutive strikes, especially with a single foot or knee, all the while maintaining balance and stability, build up all your core muscles. So does the various clinches and defence movements that you need to use while facing an opponent. In addition, most of the strikes use a rotational motion, which further strengthens your core. Even taking a few beating from the opponent, while training, helps build up core strength. All in all, regular practice of Muay Thai guarantees a solid core that can pack a solid punch, or kick.

It Gives You Sharp Reflexes

Pulling off those Muay Thai moves, sure seems exciting. However, you won’t be the only one doing it. Some, or many, times, you will be on the receiving end of those fabulous kicks, punches and other strikes. To avoid, block or throw a counter… In the heat of the moment, you will have to make a quick judgement and react, if you don’t want to be sucker-punched, that is! And to do that, you need excellent coordination between the brain and the muscles.

Fortunately, Muay Thai provides the proper conditioning needed to improve your reflexes to such a level, that you can hold your ground against solid opponents and don’t get knocked out instead. To be able to make crucial decisions under pressure is a quality, I’m sure you can appreciate outside the ring as well, and such is the reflex Muay Thai gives you, helping you avoid injuries and overcome difficulties.

It Helps To Fight Stress & Anxiety

Stress has become an unavoidable consequence of the present-age lifestyle. The stress bucket model explains how, if stress keeps accumulating without timely release, then at some point, your “bucket” will overflow, and you will have to face both physical and mental consequences. Fortunately, although it is seldom presented as such, Muay Thai can be a major stress-buster! How? Well, if you’re honest, you’ll have to admit that punching and kicking the bag or your sparring partner, who is wearing protective gear, of course, helps release a lot of accumulated stress.

And what about anxiety? Do you believe that fighting might actually increase your anxiety levels? Well childish fights, sure. And yes, adults too some times, if not most of the time, get into childish brawls. This we agree will get you more anxious than before, because well you and the one you’re fighting with, have too many things going on in your heads. This is entirely opposite to what Muay Thai or any martial art will teach you. 

Firstly, when practising Muay Thai, you are sparring and not simple fighting over some petty matter. The difference is that, while doing Muay Thai, you aim to maintain complete focus on the opponent’s movement and leave no room for any distractions. That means you try to maintain a clear head all through. Since the Muay Thai moves are so fast, that whether to attack or to defend, one must maintain focus. In this way, you learn to quieten the mind, which inadvertently, reduces your anxiety level considerably. 

The benefits of Muay Thai given above gives a good justification to the rising popularity of this martial-.art all around the world. However, unlike most others, you also know 7 solid benefits of Muay Thai, which you can expect to get if you are committed to practising it regularly. This obviously does not mean, you get too excited and go overboard with your Muay Thai training, or you will end up suffering these overtraining symptoms and negate all the good it was supposed to do.

Instead, make sure you are under proper guidance, inform them about any pre-existing medical conditions, and listen to them when they ask you to stop! If you are that dedicated, you could consider adopting a fitness system that will act complementary to your Muay Thai training. For example, combining yoga for martial arts has been proven to be extremely effective and beneficial. Act sensibly, and you take your fitness to a whole new level. Muay Thai will make to stronger, faster, more agile and more focussed. So go ahead, if you’ve been lingering on the idea for a while, and take on this ancient and super effective martial art of Thailand! Don’t forget to leave us a comment on your experience though!