Watch Adah Sharma give major fitness goals with this mudgal workout. (Photo: Adah Sharma/Instagram; designed by Gargi Singh)
Many martial art forms have seen a revival in recent years with people slowly realising the various health benefits they offer. Among the many celebrities who have taken up martial arts to stay fit is actor Adah Sharma, who was seen practising one such form even in self-isolation.
The Commando 2 actor has previously been seen practicing an ancient martial art form called Silambam which requires one to be extremely precise with their movements and have immense control over footwork and agility. Recently, she was seen warming up with mudgal or Indian clubs, that are known to be extremely effective in improving shoulder strength. She posted a video on Instagram.
Take a look!
She captioned the post, “I’ve been training with the mudgal for a few years now. It builds shoulder strength and flexibility and core strength. So before I do my silambam (stick) routine I do this so my shoulders are all warmed up.”
What is mudgal?
Mudgal or Indian clubs are part of the Indian club training routine which require practitioners to swing weighted clubs. The elaborate movements are not just eye-catching but help the practitioner in multifarious ways.
How did the practice begin?
Remember wrestlers or pehelwans swinging the bowling pin-like weights? It is said that the practice began with ancient Persian pehelwans or wrestlers who were required to strengthen their torsos and arms when preparing for competitions. The idea soon found way into South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan before being picked up by the British who modified them and named the training as Indian Club training.
Here’s why the practice is beneficial
Strengthens strength
As previously pointed out by Adah, the practice helps lend flexibility to the shoulders by increasing the range of one’s motion. Mudgal is known to be beneficial for those who play sports like tennis and practice martial arts as it increases strength and flexibility.
Improves grip strength
It also increases forearm strength. While it may sound easy, holding on to the clubs while swinging is not as easy as it seems and hence takes a lot of practice.
Builds core strength
Like most other fitness activities, martial arts also requires core strength. Mudgal is known to engage the core muscles in order to stabilise the trunk.
Enhances cardiovascular fitness
The training method is known to be quite effective in building cardiovascular fitness as the swinging moves increase the heart rate quickly as the practitioner transitions from one move to another with practice.
Prevents injuries and helps in recovery
Warm-ups are essential before undertaking any strenuous activity. When done properly, mudgal helps warm-up the body, which prevents injuries. Slow, controlled mudgal training under expert supervision is also known to develop upper body strength after injury when the body is in the recovery stage.
Improves coordination
It is a great way to achieve better body coordination skills as the practitioner needs to completely focus on the move as well as footwork and rhythm while performing it.
However, remember that any new movement should be done under expert guidance.
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