Yoga and martial arts are quite the opposite of each other. There is mixed martial arts, the sport that has the most aggressive sporting event in the form of UFC. And then there is yoga, the embodiment of peace and calmness. There truly does not seem to be any harmony between them. But, is there? Surprisingly enough, there is. If you look closely, you will end up finding that many components of martial arts are derived from yoga. Moreover, you will also be able to find that the roots of the two are very similar to one another. It would not be wrong to say that both yoga and mixed martial arts complement each other like yin and yang. MMA is a broader term that includes Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Judo, and Boxing, etc. Always wear appropriate gym clothes when you train e.g. wear proper GIs when you train for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Now, let’s delve into this blog post. I will share with you how yoga complements MMA training. Remarkably, many women are engaging in MMA too. Thankfully, women today have rights that women in the 20th century did not have. This is a huge milestone for humanity. This blog goes out to all the power girls out there!
Flexibility
“Dance like the butterfly, and sting like a bee”, said Muhammad Ali. And very rightly so. In an MMA ring, you must have an advantage in terms of mobility. If you have mobility, you can easily miss an excellent uppercut from your opponent and respond with a match-ending kick. Maybe, you can avoid a kick in the face and end up locking the opponent to submission. When you do yoga, you improve your flexibility. This allows the complex muscle systems in your body to relax. As a result, your muscles exhibit more motion. The strength comes from the MMA and flexibility from yoga. Yoga also helps to prevent injuries during competition and sparring. Moreover, make sure that you wear appropriate BJJ clothes when training to avoid injuries. With the yoga the eating habit is also needed to take at best level by in taking best vitamin c supplement
Endurance
When you perform yoga, you have to maintain a higher level of self-consciousness and concentration. Yoga requires you to stay calm in a single position for extended periods. With that said, know that this will increase your endurance. In the beginning, you will feel a burning sensation by the courtesy of the buildup of lactic acid. During yoga, you learn to balance your body even when it’s screaming for a moment of relaxation amidst all the strain. The benefits of yoga are very direct and impact your MMA routine very strongly. You get to have endurance, both of a physical and mental nature. And both are required during your MMA routine as well.
Breathing
Yoga comes with a lot of poses and postures. You can take one at a time and try to master them. However, poses like sun salutation are specifically helpful in integrating your mind and body. This will help you to breathe in a focused manner. Now, imagine a situation in the MMA ring. What do you require the most? Mental and physical integration, right? And what else? Proper breathing, right! Indeed! Yoga will help you breathe like a pro and if you have a proper respiratory system that is functional during all crucial moments in an MMA fight, you better guess the result. Furthermore, if you master the “Breath of Fire” and belly breathing techniques in yoga, you can learn to breathe even during the very critical of times. The usefulness of this practice is that instead of panicking, you get to control yourself and do something that can help to make the situation better. For better breathing, while you work out in the gym, make sure to wear tank tops.
Injuries
Muscles that are too tight or too stiff can cause serious injuries. Therefore, it is quite important to keep your muscles calm all of the time. How can you do that if you’re partaking in a tough MMA routine daily? The answer is simple! It’s yoga. All you have to do is stick to your favorite yoga routine after a tough workout routine. It will help to cool off your muscles. Moreover, when your muscles are relaxed, it will allow for greater mobility leading to injury-free time in the gym. This means that you can train for longer periods without any injury! Yoga will help to relax your joints and muscles. Moreover, when you perform yoga, you’re also able to correct your posture that can otherwise lead to injury during the workouts.
Core
When we perform yoga, we concentrate our energies on certain points in the body. It’s easy to concentrate the energies on certain locations in the body. What’s more difficult is maintaining them. One has to battle against all the muscular strain and pressure that gradually builds up. This teaches the yogi to remain indifferent to the external stimuli or the constant voice on the inside that seeks a slight moment of relaxation. But what happens when the yogi happens to be an MMA fighter too. In the ring, in the heat of the battle, the fighter continues to persevere. Why? Because the fighter knows the rewards of perseverance!
Recovery
A martial artist is always prone to gym injuries. Moreover, post-workout injuries are quite common. To ensure a quick post-workout muscle recovery, yoga plays a vital part. If you practice yoga, you will come to realize that while practicing yoga, your body tends to heal up very quickly. Tense muscles become soft in no time and your body enters a recovery mode. Yoga comes with so many benefits that one can easily write a book to detail them. The meditative technique also allows for greater flexibility and balance to ensure that the stiff muscles soften up. Yoga benefits the body, mind, and spirit. Imagine the limitlessness of the gains when you can easily recover your muscles right after the workout and relax them in no time. This will directly help to provide you a quality time in the gym training for your daily MMA targets.
