Why Muay Thai Is The Ultimate Fitness Solution

The modern health and fitness market offers countless ways to stay fit and healthy. From hitting the gym to practising yoga or voguish pilates, the options are seemingly endless. While each of these activities has its benefits, many people find themselves getting bored with their fitness routines over time. That’s where Muay Thai comes in. This ancient martial art is not just a form of self-defence – it is also an incredibly effective way to stay in shape and achieve your fitness goals.

Whether you are looking to build strength, increase endurance, improve flexibility, or simply add some excitement to your workout routine, Muay Thai has something to offer.

Any physical activity is great for our body. Weightlifting will help you become stronger and build muscles; stretching will calm down your nerves and release muscle tension; jogging is a nice form of cardio that strengthens your heart; and a simple sauntering will bring pleasure and increase your NEAT – small, unconscious movements which make up 15% of daily calorie burning.

Muay Thai is a truly exceptional form of fitness because it engages and challenges every part of your body, improving multiple aspects of your physical and mental health in a way that no other single activity can. From developing total-body strength and cardiovascular endurance to boosting flexibility and balance, Muay Thai provides a comprehensive workout that leaves no stone unturned when it comes to achieving your fitness goals.

What makes Muay Thai a unique form of fitness is that it makes you exercise aerobically and anaerobically.

Aerobic exercising through Muay Thai

Aerobic exercises are great for improving the health of your heart and lungs. The term ‘aerobic’ means ‘with oxygen,’ which implies that the amount of oxygen delivered to your muscles to help them burn energy and function is regulated by your breathing. Aerobic exercises are exceptionally beneficial for heart and lung health as well as maintaining normal cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

According to the American Heart Association, you need 30 minutes of some form of aerobic exercise 5-7 days per week. The Muay Thai training involves various activities like running, jumping rope, and shadowboxing, which provides an excellent aerobic workout to prepare you for more demanding exercises.

Anaerobic exercising through Muay Thai

Anaerobic exercises are short, high-intensity activities that, unlike aerobic exercises, do not make your body use oxygen. Instead, they rely on the breakdown of glucose that’s already stored in your muscles to produce energy. Anaerobic exercises are great for losing weight, and building strength and muscles. The anaerobic element Muay Thai includes is, for instance, the power that is needed for strike delivery.

Besides Muay Thai, anaerobic exercises include HIIT, weight lifting, and circuit training.

The CDC recommends having about 30 minutes of moderate or 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, five times a week. The anaerobic training you receive from Muay Thai offers excellent results in meeting these recommendations.

Delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) is an unpleasant by-product that manifests through soreness and a painful feeling. It usually appears after an intense workout that is new to your body. Having extreme muscle soreness can cause discomfort as well as reduce a person’s strength to keep going.

One more immense benefit of Muay Thai is that the DOMS you get after a class cannot be compared to, for example, a leg day at the gym. After a class, you will feel sore, but it is this type of pain that just reminds you that you have exercised the day before.

Muay Thai is an excellent option for individuals who have grown tired of their gym routines. Unlike traditional gym workouts, Muay Thai involves various movements, such as punches, kicks, and knee strikes, that are both effective and fun to perform. The combination of cardio, strength, and agility training makes Muay Thai an ideal fitness regimen for those seeking a challenging and exciting workout.

Most people report switching to Muay Thai because of getting bored with other forms of fitness.

However, it is worth keeping in mind that we need variety not only for the sake of staying motivated but also because our bodies like variety. Our bodies are adaptable, and if we do the same exercises over and over again, they will eventually become less effective. This is because our muscles and cardiovascular system adapt to the demands we place on them, becoming more efficient at performing those specific movements.

So, if you engage in Muay Thai, but also would like to lift weights a few times a week and stretch or do yoga, it would be a perfect recipe for your fitness.

One of the biggest advantages of learning Muay Thai for fitness is that the techniques are easy to learn. In addition, you always have a coach by your side to help you progress. Although as a beginner you might initially struggle with learning and refining some moves, most Muay Thai practitioners become proficient within several months of regular practice.

The benefits of Muay Thai apply to everyone, men, women, and even children. Thai practitioners begin their Muay Thai journey as early in life as 5-6 years old, which highlights how anyone can participate, regardless of age or fitness level.

Having a toned, lean body is a fitness goal for many people. The “toned” look is often associated with Victoria’s Secret models, ballet dancers, and aerobics instructors. When people say they want to “tone up,” they typically mean they want to appear leaner with well-defined muscles.

To get the leanness you will need to do cardio and some strength training. However, instead of tedious walking on a treadmill, you may engage in Muay Thai which is a perfect type of fitness in order to get lean and toned. Muay Thai is a discipline that solely focuses on the body. This means that it provides an intense workout that tones muscles, especially in the legs, back, core, and arms.

Cardio is an essential component of any weight and fat loss journey, but let’s face it, it can be tedious and boring. Many people dread cardio workouts, especially because it takes time to build up the endurance required to perform longer sessions. However, Muay Thai is an excellent way to make cardio more enjoyable. It is both fun and challenging and combines other exercises to provide a full-body workout.

In Muay Thai, you will not only improve your cardiovascular endurance but also build your strength and stamina simultaneously. This makes it a more efficient way to work out compared to traditional gym routines, where you would typically have to do separate cardio and strength training sessions.

Muay Thai is not just a great way to improve fitness, but it also can teach you self-defence. This cannot be achieved via lifting weights at the gym. Through practising Muay Thai, you will learn techniques such as strikes, kicks, and clinching, which can be used to defend yourself in real-life situations. Additionally, the fast-paced nature of Muay Thai training helps to improve your reflexes, making you quicker and more alert in general.

We hope that none of our readers will happen in a situation where they are required to defend themselves. However, it is a good skill that will make you feel safer when walking in a neighbourhood at night.

Not enough? Here is more

In this video, a fitness enthusiast Sherry shares her experience of taking Muay Thai classes and how it has improved her overall fitness and health. This video offers valuable insights into what to expect during your first Muay Thai session and how it can help you achieve your fitness goals. Whether you’re new to the sport or just looking for a new way to stay fit, this video is sure to provide you with some useful information and inspiration.

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