The art of muscular flexibility and hand-eye coordination is just one enticing attribute of MMA fighting. Add the thrill of grappling, striking, and a mix of moves from other similar sports like karate, jujitsu, and hapkido, and you yet will have to strive towards one particular goal.
Self-guided improvement.
It is this awareness that, in turn, enhances mental health considerably.
According to BMC psychology, MMA training has a prominent impact on psychological therapy. This sports-centric mental health catalyst is inexpensive and also comes with the advantage of bolstering physical fitness.
At MMA Matrix, we aim to inculcate all ends of the wellness spectrum into our ecosystem. Speaking of mental health, here are five life-changing benefits of practising MMA daily.
There are a plethora of bodily movements that most people are never exposed to in their lives. When you activate and exercise these muscles through MMA fighting, a sense of awareness towards what lies within your body increases substantially. But the real essence is when you’re done with a 3-hour MMA session, and these body parts feel the pain.
Don’t be surprised to experience pain on various body parts. Moreover, they can be parts you never felt the presence of before - such as wing or back muscles. It is this newfound pain that destresses your body in ways more than one!
In short, be aware of the aches and adapt to them; your body will appreciate it.
People who lead busy lives and have little time for leisure and enjoyment unknowingly rely on hormones for feel-good sensations. Try and make MMA a regular part of your schedule, and you will naturally observe a surge of upliftment – through the secretion of these hormones.
On a biological note, moderate to intense exercise shoots up happy hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. Consider this hormonal release practice to keep your mental health intact.
Dodging opponents, mindfully using stronger muscles in your body, and game-winning tactics are an integral part of MMA fighting. When you think of these, there is a higher release of neurons in the brain, and quick-firing thoughts develop into creative solutions. Not only does it improve your problem-solving skills, but it also broadens your perspective on attacking and defence strategies.
This is equivalent to exercising your brain through MMA practice, and fuelling your mental health with a greater capability to adapt.
MMA is a combat sport that calls for utter focus on the opponent’s movements. All the observations that this focus brings are supposed to prompt your body to act accordingly.
In the process, you create a conscious link between signals from the mind and body, and attain greater control over your actions. And if you’re getting a stronger grasp of your ‘control’, then your mental health can too be positively affected.
Adapting to discomfort is the 101 rule of any combat sport. The minute you are comfortable with unusual amounts of pain, you are prepared to function in the toughest of environments. Think about it, if you learn how to be relaxed away from your comfort zone, what not can the mind adapt to?
Some may call this endurance building too, but either way, the results it brings for your mental health are phenomenal.
At MMA Matrix, we want our clients to reap the diverse perks of taking part in intensive combat training sessions. As we now know, these perks are physical as well as mental.
Keep in mind, as your MMA journey advances, you are assured to notice significant lifestyle changes.