The Benefits Of Training Muay Thai For Weight Loss
Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing, is a combat sport of Thailand. The sport blends different clinching skills and stand-up striking methods, and is often called the ‘art of 8 limbs’ since it permits attacks using fists, elbows, shins, and knees. Muay Thai spread internationally by the late 20th century, and during that era western people began practicing and holding Muay Thai matches.
People practice Muay Thai in Vancouver for various reasons. Some might have an interest and desire to compete with others in this thrilling sport, while others may simply want to lose weight or stay in shape. No matter the reason, Muay Thai training boasts many benefits to one’s physical health.
Muay Thai Kickboxing As Cardiovascular/Interval Training
Cardiovascular activity burns fat. As your heart rate increases to a level that you maintain during your workout, your body is able to burn more and more calories. There are plenty of martial arts classes in Vancouver, but few can compete with the cardio workout that you can get from Muay Thai. Muay Thai requires that you maintain a rhythmic fighting stance, a form of constant fluid motion between each round of explosive kicking, punching, and conditioning skills.
This mirrors the intervaled way most fat-burning workouts are structured, including those on equipment such as treadmills or stair-stepping machines. These interval workouts consist of moments of intense, rapid energy expenditure peppered throughout a lighter activity of more measured pace. This helps your heart adapt to changing conditions very quickly, working in a different manner than it would during steady routine like jogging. This type of exercise engages your metabolism and burns a greater amount of calories than a typical cardiovascular workout.
Diaz Combat Sports instructor and 6x Muay Thai World Champion Lamsongkram Chuwattana doing pad work
Muay Thai, with its focus on rhythm and footwork between hard-hitting combinations, is essentially an extremely vigorous interval workout. Both the upper and lower body reap the benefits of these sessions — the upper body through punching, holding pads, pushups, and ab crunches, and the lower through kicking, jumping rope, and a number of other conditioning drills. These exercises are usually performed in rounds of three to five minutes each and followed with a little rest, making Muay Thai a perfect form of calorie-burning interval training — the kind of intense workout that continues to burn fat even after you are done your training session!
Muay Thai Builds Strength, Speeding Up The Process Of Weight Loss
The more you build your muscular systems, the more your body is readily able to burn fat. Unfortunately, around half a pound of muscle mass is shed annually from your body; thus, it is vital to consistently engage in weight lifting and resistance training sessions. In Muay Thai, your muscles are constantly contracting and expanding whenever you strike, punch, or kick. Because proper Muay Thai technique relies on correct body mechanics to generate force, you will consistently be engaging your legs, core, and arms regardless of the type of strike you are practicing (you cannot punch effectively without your legs, just as you cannot kick without your core).
One Muay Thai training session includes hundreds of repeated kicks and punches, making it a full-body strength exercise. This constant repetition makes your muscles stronger, and has the benefit of building different muscle systems than you would simply lifting weights. The “Art of Eight Limbs” trains your whole body, including arms, thighs, back, shoulders, calves, abs, and everything in between. Your back and shoulders support proper posture and help you keep your hands raised at eyebrow level — essential elements of defence. Shifting stances, employing proper footwork, and maintaining balance on one leg while you kick all serve to strengthen your lower body and improve dexterity from your hips to your feet.
Muay Thai presents an exceptional return of the time you invest in it — in addition to weight loss, most people who train Muay Thai kickboxing will find themselves hooked by a positive feedback loop: the more you train the sharper your technique becomes, the harder you hit, the more calories you burn, the better your cardio becomes, the more frequently you are able to train, and so on. Not only do you improve your physical health and appearance, but you get to learn a new art and it is really a great deal of fun.
Robert Orphanides lost over 100 lbs through rigorous Muay Thai training.
Where To Begin Training Muay Thai Kickboxing In Vancouver
By this point we have well established the many physical benefits to training Muay Thai, and hopefully you are now wondering where to find the best gym in Vancouver to do so. There is no shortage of quality kickboxing or MMA gyms in Vancouver, but we can comfortably argue that Diaz Combat Sports is by far the best place for beginners and seasoned martial artists alike.
The Muay Thai instructors at DCS are second to none, coming to us directly from Thailand and boasting impressive credentials such as coaching world champions and holding world titles of their own. They are passionate about sharing authentic Muay Thai with the people of Vancouver, and are happy to instruct students of every skill level in their art.
DCS is happy to offer a free trial class to anyone looking to try Muay Thai or experience our fantastic gym’s other programs. For first-timers, the trial classes are often semi-private, conducted alongside a limited number of students who match your level of skill. You will receive a great workout while being introduced to the basics of Muay Thai, and will be able to jump into the regular classes soon after. Various time slots are available throughout the week, so you can choose classes that best fit your schedule. Further, our world-class instructors are all available throughout the week for 1 on 1 personal training sessions, meaning you don’t have to look any further for a personal training in Vancouver.
Whether you are aiming to improve your physical health or to simply find a new way to stay in shape, Muay Thai represents an ideal way to reach your fitness goals. You would be hard-pressed to find another martial art as well-suited for weight loss as Muay Thai, and you won’t find a better mixed martial arts gym in Vancouver than DCS.