Warming Up

Warming up



Getting into condition for any kind of sport requires pre- and post-training warm up and cooling down sessions as mentioned in my earlier posting. When getting started in Thai boxing, the amount of warming up should be adjusted to suit the individual boxer, who will have done sufficient warming up when he feels energized and in peak form.


Before a boxer starts any serious training, his body requires a warm up. A good warm up, if properly performed, is beneficial in many ways. Experience will always show that a sufficient amount of warming up will protect a boxer from the muscle strains that can result from very strenuous exercise. The basic purpose of the warm up session, as its name indicates, is to raise the body temperature , particularly that of the deep-lying muscles. It also stretches the ligaments and various membranes, so that the body's flexibility and consequently its readiness for athletic activity is increased, which then accelerates the metabolic process of the cells while speeding up reflexes.


Among the exercises that are suitable for warming up are jogging, running at a comfortable pace or other types of activities described in earlier posts. The important thing is that they should cause the body to move gently and freely. Warm up exercises help a boxer to find out the degree of intensity and length of time needed for his body temperature to rise to the right point when he is sweating freely. Warm up exercises should start off at a moderate rate of speed and then accelerated until the boxer feels that his body temperature is high enough and his blood circulation has improved. The effects of a warm up should last about 45 minutes. Therefore, don't stop for too long or rest for too long after the warm up session to begin with the actual training program.


Although the exact length for an effective warm up varies according to the individual's physique and age, in general, warming up should be restricted to about 20 minutes. This will leave the body in a condition with sufficient time and energy left to work at maximum efficiency. This is just enough time to put the body in a state where it can move really well: an abundant supply of food and oxygen has been brought to the blood in the muscle tissues and the muscles are therefore ready to work to the limit of their ability. Furthermore, blood sugar and adrenaline levels have been raised to optimum levels for athletic activity.


At the end of a training session, a boxer should always cool down to allow his circulatory system and other body functions to ease back to their normal state.