How MMA Can Benefit Your Mental Health

Despite the intensely physical combat associated mixed martial arts, if trained in the correct way, the sport can reap major mental health positives according to researcher Dr Jack Sugden.

Sugden has completed a number of research papers into the topic, like 'Jiu-Jitsu and society: Male mental health on the mats' which takes the time to understand MMA is a such a good outlet for men.

Beneath the paradox, in learning how to fight, men are also learning how to heal as Sugden said: "The disciplines in martial arts require dedication, but they also require an intense amount of co-operation with other people in order to practice. People see MMA as a really violent sport, but I have seen more fights on a football pitch than I have in an MMA gym."

Sugden began training MMA later than most at 31-years-old, but says that the sport makes him a better person in day-to-day life and that he is now more switched on at work and is less angry.

His first reason why MMA particularly is so beneficial is through personal development as he said: "Starting something like Jiu-Jitsu, knowing nothing to being someone who is competing in the cage is a long journey. Each week you may take a step back, but you always take two steps forward. It has an impact on people seeing themselves develop."

Sugden went on to detail that the sense of community is another key reason as he said: "It is an authentic sense of real connection when you are quite literally going in and wrestling other men and women. Human contact creates a sense of togetherness that I think is really important these days.

"You go into these gyms and they are very diverse. You get surgeons, taxi drivers, people that make their living in illegal ways, and policemen, all training together. Never have I seen a more diverse group of people than in an MMA gym."

Despite being a big advocate for mental health support, Sugden believes that the way that it is offered is currently wrong as he said that if you have something wrong with you then you have to go and sit opposite someone and tell them how you feel. A lot of people really struggle with doing that. There's loads of other ways to try and get over it.

MMA is one of those other ways as Sugden shared his final reason why it is so positive to mental health, as he said: "MMA practice helps you cope better with life outside the gym. People generally feel less stressed and less anxious. There's a lot of MMA fighters with previous problems with addiction, so getting regimented into a practice is a positive influence."