You might associate kickboxing with Jean Claude Van Damme movies, but did you know it is an amazing cardio workout? Best of all, you don’t have to step into a ring and trade blows! Cardio kickboxing is essentially a combination of aerobics, boxing, and martial arts, and instead of fighting other people, your goal is to improve your fitness. If you’ve never considered joining a kickboxing class, you might change your mind after reading all about the benefits.
Five Ways You Benefit with Kickboxing
Kickboxing is one of the best aerobic activities when it comes to calorie burning. Harvard Medical School claims that an average 155-pound individual will burn up to 748 calories during a one-hour class. Heavier people can burn close to 1,000 calories in a single session, and the stop-start nature of the class means you get some of the post-workout calorie-burning benefits of high-intensity interval training.
Sensible kickboxing classes begin with a 10- to 15-minute warm-up, which includes stretching and dynamic activities to increase the body’s core temperature and reduce the risk of injury. Then participants move into the intense portion of the workout, which includes knee strikes, kicks, and punches. The combination of these moves will serve to increase your heart rate to the point where it enters the target cardiovascular zone. You will not only strengthen and tone your legs and arms, but you will also strengthen your heart.
Kickboxing involves a sequence of moves, and your coordination will improve as you get more experienced. As you perform kicks on one leg, your balance is also likely to improve, and the warm-up and cool-down periods involve a significant amount of stretching, which serves to improve your flexibility.
Cardio kickboxing is a fantastic way to release pent-up stress. There is nothing better than kicking and punching to help you relax after a hard day at work! Additionally, you will find that kickboxing is good for your self-esteem and confidence levels, as your fitness will improve along with your ability to defend yourself. While these classes are not strictly self-defense, they can provide you with some skills along with a base conditioning level, which is essential.
Many people shy away from exercise because it is often boring. The prospect of spending an hour or more on a treadmill is completely unappealing, and most people will skip this form of exercise. Kickboxing classes, on the other hand, take place in a group setting, so you get to know new people. Also, it makes for a pleasant change from the aforementioned dull and traditional forms of cardio. If you are bored with your current workout, kickboxing could be the breath of fresh air you need.
Start Small, Finish Big!
Those who take up kickboxing should start slowly and always seek out a beginner’s class. It is a high-intensity and high-impact form of exercise, so it will take time to get used to it, but once you do, you’ll be hooked!