Running is a necessary complement to other forms of physical activity, martial arts in particular. Here’s a brief look at why:
- First, running helps us deal with stress and insomnia in a way that stimulates and calms the nervous system. In addition to that, when running, we produce substances that act like narcotics- that is, they improve mood and give us a sense of euphoria. Also, running helps us fight the pain syndromes in our body. It has been observed that the pain resulting from training passes much faster when running is incorporated.
- Second, running improves the cardio-vascular system. It has been proven that during the run, blood vessels dilate, which leads to normalization of the blood exchange process in the body, preventing the formation of blood stasis in the muscles and organs. Blood pressure is normalized and myocardial muscle is trained. In addition, running is an excellent prevention of arteriosclerosis (narrowing of the blood vessels) and other diseases associated with an increase in cholesterol in the blood (This is especially important considering the fact that in the UK an extremely high percentage of deaths is related to heart disease, as is the case in the rest of Europe and in the world).
- Third, running develops respiratory endurance, which is essential for many sports as well as for MMA. Breathing endurance must be considered when working on focusers or when we are on the ground and doing grappling or BJJ. Furthermore, running has a preventive effect on the respiratory system: there is a so-called “forced ventilation” of the lungs, which is an obstacle to the development of various diseases of the respiratory system. In this way, running training significantly contributes to the development of the body’s immune system.
- Fourth, while running, you burn a very large amount of calories. It has been proven that to achieve effective weight loss, it is not enough to change just your diet, but it is also important to include running training. Number of calories lost during running training of a certain volume and intensity can be compared to the number of calories burned with high-intensity strength training.
So the point is very simple:
Oxygen is the most direct means of our body’s contact with the environment.
It enters our blood through the lungs, which spreads it throughout the body, to the muscles and organs.
With the improved and developed functions of the heart and blood vessels, a large amount of oxygenated blood is brought into our body.
Oxygen is a condition for efficient use of energy.
It restores our body and recovers it after hard work, which is very important for us MMA practitioners.
The only way to make the most of it is through including running as a supplemental training.
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