The holiday season is over, and like other jolly-travelers like me, the past holiday seemed too short (as always). Now, we go back to our daily routine, sit down behind that crazy desk, see that loud person at the office, and importantly, will have to share a gist or two about the holiday with colleagues.
My kids are also sad about the end of the holiday season, but they have been masking that sadness with a feeling of longing and hope; when I mentioned that we would be coming back the next year. Even my difficult-to-impress self can’t stop smiling anytime conversations drift to our holidays.
We traveled to Thailand and had visited Muay Thai camps.
The noble art of Muay Thai
For every Muay Thai lover, the mention of these two words should bring a feeling of satisfaction to the face (as it does for me now) because this sport more than educates (trains) your body; it also trains your mind and soul.
Muay Thai is a combat sport (what is left) that evolved from the ancient Thai system of combat. Just like most other martial arts, it involves learning some peculiar skills, styles, and moves that allow you to throw/’immobilize’ your opponents. Informally, the sport is referred to as the ‘art of the 8 limbs’, since it requires you to master control over your limbs.
Muay Thai was only for men in earlier times, but with its growing popularity, women and young ones now join the art through camps abundant in the country. This sport is also gaining popularity globally as over 80 countries around the world now incorporate art.
The Health benefit of Muay Thai
A Muay Thai camp was close to our hotel during our stay in Thailand; it was always full of men and women (who have come to practice). It got my curiosity up initially and made me investigate the camp/sport. In trying to know more about this sport, here are other things I found out.
- Muay Thai is good for the cardiovascular muscles.
The muscles of the heart are crucial to the human body, as they are responsible for the involuntary motions of the heart. We must take good care of the heart by engaging in exercises that improve these muscular activities.
Aerobic activities, for instance, improve the quality of oxygen in the body, which can help to reduce the load of the heart and enable quality and fresh air supply to the brain. Anaerobic activities like punching bags, skipping, weightlifting helps to improve the muscles of the heart. It shows how beneficial Muay Thai is to health.
- Reduces Anxiety and Stress levels
Anxiety and high-stress levels can be very damaging to our body, especially when it becomes constant. Muay Thai pieces of training can help you to ease your anxieties because they need your total concentration. In a Muay Thai training match, a distraction by as much as a fraction of a second could cost you the fight. So, next time you seek a release for your poor emotional state, hit a Muay Thai camp.
- A good weight-loss therapy
Most people have a year-long battle with weight (more ruthless during the holidays). For some, it doesn’t matter what they eat; their body can’t keep up with its metabolism to work on fats in the body.
Muay Thai training is an anti-weight gain routine and will easily rid you of the excess fats stored in your body. Most people get into the camps looking bulky but come out (in a few weeks) looking more muscular. Constant Muay Thai training can help you burn more calories than you would burn during regular exercise.
- It leads to stronger bones in the body.
Calcium is the element responsible for producing strong bones in the body, but constant training can make those bones stronger. During training, you will inure your body to the different rigorous tasks like lifting heavy objects, hitting hard surfaces, and resting in unnatural positions. Stronger bones prevent bone conditions during aging like; osteoporosis.
- Builds mental and psychological alertness
In a Muay Thai fight, one of the most crucial skills you’ll learn is the ability to make quick decisions under attack. You have to know when to dodge blows, block attacks, strike your opponents, and counter-strike; all these activities improve the brain capacity. Constant mental exercises like this will help you to improve your analytical and numerical ability. On a broader scale, it will also help you to make sage and calculated decisions.
- Improve hip movements and reflexes
The hips contain one of the strongest and toughest & longest muscles and are crucial to mobility. Muay Thai training at Suwit Muay Thai will involve greater demands on your hips; balance, attack, movement, etc. Also, constant Muay Thai training will improve your body reflexes and help you to have a better sense of danger and how to side-step easily.
Smooth hip movements are highly beneficial in daily lives; it will help to keep your fit, sharp, and mobile. Besides, good work out on your hips can help you prevent conditions like rheumatism and arthritis.
Good health with Muay Thai for fitness in Thailand
Muay Thai is almost a ‘religious’ practice in Thailand, with ubiquitous camps and seasoned trainers in camps who are always ready to improve your physical state and teach you the art of combat.
Thai people engage in Muay Thai activities mostly as a fitness routine than any other thing. The time they spend in camps is time-off from the bustles and hustle of their daily living in Thailand. Interestingly, Muay Thai sport is a great way to relax, and this is why most therapists recommend the sport as a way to escape from anxieties.
Thailand also hosts the biggest ever Muay Thai fight carnival in the whole world and retains the undiluted and untainted art of Muay Thai; it makes the overall experience palpable in Thailand.
…even as we un-board the commercial airplane that has ferried us from the South-Asian country, I cannot help but admit to the nostalgia and the longing to be back in Thailand the next holidays.
