- 1. improves Physical Conditioning
- 2. great physical activity for caloric expenditure
- 3. accelerates the metabolism
- 4. develops discipline
- 5. improve your self-esteem
- Blocks your immune system
- 7. improves your muscle definition
- 8. a much more flexible body
- 9. strength gain
- 10. agility gain
A martial art that is more than 2,000 years old, Muay Thai has Thai origins and may also be known as Thai Boxing or Thai Boxing.
Because it works several muscle groups in the body, is a good aerobic activity, and also teaches self-defense movements, wrestling has become increasingly popular, attracting practitioners from both amateur and professional levels.
I have been a fighter since 2010 and I assume that since I got to know this martial art I left the repetitive and boring bodybuilding exercises in the background and adopted fighting as my main physical activity.
Today, my wife and I are part of the team Thai Squadron You can check part of the Muay Thai training at 360° video º we did.
For you who are still in doubt about whether or not to fight, I have separated some benefits that Muay Thai provides to your body. The images that illustrate this article were taken by photographer Marcel Gonzalez.
1. improves Physical Conditioning
Because it works both legs and arms, Muay Thai is a great alternative for fitness and conditioning, and is as intense (and sometimes even more so) than functional training or crossfit.
You acquire muscular strength and endurance (with squatting, push-ups, and sit-ups); cardiorespiratory conditioning (the ability to perform runs, trots, trim rounds, and gloves; and flexibility (by performing movements with good amplitudes without difficulties or limitations due to shortened muscles or 'locked' joints).
2. great physical activity for caloric expenditure
To give you an idea of the caloric expenditure of this activity, researchers at the University of Italy simulated a Muay Thai fight - three rounds of three minutes each, with one minute in between.
In this nine-minute period, the calorie expenditure was approximately 14 calories per minute - that is, 126 calories in total.
Considering that a training session of this modality usually lasts an hour and a half and involves other activities besides combat, the caloric expenditure can reach 1000 to 1500 calories, depending on the rhythm of the class and your metabolism. The average for beginners is around 750 calories per session.
3. accelerates the metabolism
One of the benefits of practicing a self-impact activity is to accelerate your metabolism. Muay Thai guarantees this with its intense efforts, demanding more work from the body to generate energy for the activity.
4. develops discipline
It is fundamental not only in Muay Thai, but for all sports, especially martial arts. In a good team, you will learn from your teacher from the beginning to follow the rules, respect the limits and your opponent.
The discipline acquired with the sport goes beyond the classroom and contributes to improving their behavior in various fields of life.
5. improve your self-esteem
Contact sports help improve people's self-confidence, as they provide benefits to the body. This gives them more confidence and makes them more willing to face life's challenges.
Furthermore, being part of a martial arts team improves your inhibition and increases your socialization. This has benefits in both the professional and relationship fields.
Blocks your immune system
In the long run, the number of illnesses and medical expenses will be drastically reduced. This happens because the martial art demands a lot from the body, preparing it for stronger and stronger stimuli. When a flu or a virus comes, your body is much more prepared, making it more difficult for you to stay in bed.
7. improves your muscle definition
Why do various physical activities to tone several muscle groups if you can do just one that works almost all of them at the same time?
Do you want to develop your lower limbs, glutes, and abdomen? Fighting kicks and knees will do the trick. Do you want to increase your arms, pectorals, trapezius, and back? Just work more punches, elbows, push-ups, and guard stands.
Also, according to your needs, the fight teacher can provide you with specific training.
8. a much more flexible body
After you practice Thai, you begin to notice a gain in flexibility: "There is a gain in flexibility of the lumbar muscles, posterior thigh, hip flexors and extensors, especially because the gestures of the modality and the exercises performed at the beginning and at the end of the training sessions stimulate different ranges of motion that, with practice, provide these gains," saysPhysical Education teacher and martial arts specialist Fabricio Boscolo Del Vecchio, from the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), for the Minha Vida website.
9. strength gain
To acquire more strength, the Muay Thai training includes calisthenics exercises - that is, activities that use the body's own weight without equipment, such as squatting - and localized muscular resistance exercises - abdominal crunches and push-ups.
Strength can also come from training on sideboards and punching bags.
10. agility gain
Agility, on the other hand, comes from the so-called glove part, when fellow trainers fight each other with a focus on putting the sequences and techniques into practice. This provides reaction speed, endurance, and agility in response.
It is worth remembering that, more important than striking a blow to the adversary is knowing how to receive this blow, to defend, to cause the least damage possible. In this way, Muay Thai contributes to the fighter developing a strategy, training his mind to fight and defend himself in a fast and efficient way.
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