Muay Thai classes are typically fun to attend in Singapore or anywhere else. Also known as the art-of-eight limbs, Muay Thai also happens to be one of the most respected striking-based martial arts around. It’s a great self-defense system, and it provides an intense workout.
Muay Thai gyms often incorporate warm-up and warm-down exercises into their training routine to get students ready for the intense pace of classes. On average, people burn about 1000 calories per hour spent training Muay Thai. It gives you a more efficient way to work out than more conventional training exercises like lifting weights or running. Warm-down exercises are typically performed at the end of Muay Thai classes.
The Importance Of Cooling Down After Muay Thai Classes
Warming up before an intense activity like going to the Muay Thai gym prepares the body by increasing blood flow, loosening joints, and increasing your heart rate.
Some Muay Thai fighters have historically warmed up for exercises by rubbing their bodies with Thai liniment oil – which warms up their muscles before training. Jogging is another popular warm-up exercise with Muay Thai fighters.
Cooling down after training is just as important as warming up your muscles before training. The goal of performing warm-down exercises is to slowly return the heart to its normal resting rate, reduce the buildup of lactic acids, and minimize delayed onset muscle soreness.
Here are 5 popular warm-down exercises used by Muay Thai gyms:
1) Running
Jogging at a comfortable pace is one of the oldest warm-down exercises used after training Muay Thai, and it can also be used to warm up for training. Muay Thai fighters run up to seven miles per day as part of their training. Skipping can be used as a substitute for running if you find it more enjoyable. About 20 minutes of jump rope can help to strengthen your legs and improve your stamina.
2) Weightlifting
Free weight exercises can be used to cool down your muscles right after training Muay Thai. Your muscles are warm, and your blood should be already pumping at that point, so your body is ready to start pumping weights. The short breaks you take between sets allow your body to slowly cool down and return to its normal rested state. You get your weightlifting workout in while getting all the benefits of cooling down after going to the Muay Thai gym.
3) Bodyweight Exercises
If you do not have access to a gym right after finishing Muay Thai classes, bodyweight exercises can serve as your cool-down routine. Exercises like pushups, sit-ups, and pullups work great as cool-down exercises. Aim for about three sets of each exercise and one to two-minute breaks between sets.
4) Massages
Serious Muay Thai practitioners often incorporate massages into their cool-down program. It provides a variety of benefits like preventing and alleviating delayed muscle onset soreness (DOMS), improves recovery, and reduces soreness.
DOMS typically starts to creep in a few hours after working out. It can lead to pain and stiffness in your muscles, and it can last up to a few days, depending on how regularly you work out. Getting a massage right after working out can help to relax muscles and prevent them from becoming stiff. Being able to prevent and reduce DOMS allows you to work out more often, speeding up your progression as a Muay Thai fighter.
Massaging muscles right after working out also helps to reduce muscle soreness by speeding up the removal of waste products in muscles. Massages also help to release tension in the body and promote the release of positive hormones like dopamine and serotonin.
The main waste product that causes muscle soreness and stiffness after a workout is lactic acid. It builds up during workouts, but certain techniques can be used to help drain it out after workouts.
Massages can also be used to promote muscle recovery after workouts since it improves blood flow. This promotes the healing of damaged muscle tissues after recovery, protecting against injuries and preparing your body for the next workout.
Getting a massage right after working out helps to remove toxins and waste products that lead to muscle soreness, stiffness, and fatigue. Addressing these things allows you to recover faster from workouts so you can work out just as intensely the next time you attend Muay Thai classes.
5) Stretching
Stretching after Muay Thai classes provides several benefits like decreasing muscle tension, lowering the risk of injury, and improving flexibility. Stretching also helps to improve your overall athletic performance.
Most people do not stretch as often as they should since it’s not a particularly exciting activity, and it can be time-consuming. A simple way to make your stretching sessions more effective is by stretching multiple muscle groups at the same time.
The increased flexibility you will develop from stretching after your workouts will improve your mobility and the flexibility in your joints. This makes it easier to execute the countless techniques you learn during Muay Thai class.
Stretching also helps to improve your posture, which reduces the odds of you developing back issues. Standing or sitting incorrectly puts additional strain and pressure on your joints and muscles, which can lead to musculoskeletal issues like back pain. Stretching regularly can also help to promote the healing of existing back issues.
Stretching regularly after training leads to lower stress and muscle tension. Stress from your daily lifestyle can lead to muscle tension, which makes it harder to perform in the gym. Stretching your muscles before and after Muay Thai classes helps to alleviate any stress in them and relaxes them. This gives you improved athletic performance.
Stretching helps to improve blood flow and promotes the healing of micro muscle fibers damaged during workouts. This reduces the chances of DOMS and leads to faster recovery after workouts.
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