Why Muay Thai is Good for your Mind, Body & Soul

Nowadays more than ever we all need to find ways to take care of our internal health such as our sanity as we are increasingly over loaded with commitments and bombarded with social media. So I hear you thinking how can a sport like Muay Thai help create balance in my life?

Before we dive in, a brief understanding of what Muay Thai will help give the full picture. Also referred to as “The Art of Eight Limbs” the techniques used incorporate eight points of contact, as opposed to “two points” (i.e. fists) in boxing and “four points” (i.e. hands and feet) used in kickboxing. Muay Thai is known to date back to 14th century in Thailand, a tie when engagement, connection and entertainment came in many other forms.

Muay Thai is a truly unique form of martial arts and a sport that is like no other.

Key reasons I personally love Muay Thai, and have been practicing and teaching for 8 years, is because it challenges you in so many ways and helps you work on nearly all components of fitness including balance, muscular endurance, cardiovascular fitness, technical skills, agility, reaction, speed, strength and flexibility. Muay Thai training can positively affect your life in many ways and can enhance different aspects of your wellbeing.

MIND | Mental Toughness & Resilience

We are all faced with life pressures and stresses of work and family even more than ever in addition to environmental stress from living busy urban city lives. A key part of most martial arts training is continued commitment. Good coaches will teach you in a way that keeps you coming back to master your skills and improve on your strengths even when you feel it is tough and your body is not used to the stress it is being put under. If you do this in training and build that mental muscle of toughness this will transfer to other areas of your life.

BODY | Muay Thai is Full Body Conditioning

The type of training you do during a class once you pass a basic level is much like an advanced HIIT class. We have all seen what shape fighter’s bodies are in, they are fit to an athlete standard. You can train like an athlete in this sport without being one and the better you get the more you want to train as the sport is so much fun. Exercise increases your overall health and your sense of well-being, which puts more bounce in your step every day. But exercise like Muay Thai also has some direct stress-busting benefits such as pumps up your endorphin levels.

SOUL | Similar Affects to Meditation

I recently asked a student why they love training Muay Thai and she said it was a time where she would think about nothing else and no worries of thoughts from daily life would come into her head for that 90 mins. This is, in many ways, what you seek to achieve in a meditative state. You will never walk out of a class not feeling lighter, building confidence in your own abilities to grow is surely good for your soul.

Written by Haitham Khalid, Founder of Evolve, a Doha based wellness company that helps people Evolve into the best versions of themselves using a holistic approach.