Do you enjoy kicking stuff? Perhaps you enjoy boxing? Do you like to workout too? If you answered yes to all three of these questions then kickboxing as a workout is right for you!
The reasons kickboxing is a great workout are numerous, but let’s touch on perhaps maybe the most important: weight loss.
Kickboxing as an exercise utilizes your hands, arms, feet, and legs, all in fast, repetitive motions. When training on a punching bag a person who weighs 120 lbs can expect to burn over 300 calories in just 30 minutes. Not only that, but it doubles as strength training, so while calories are burned, muscle is toned.
Combining an aerobic exercise (one that has a lengthy duration) with an anaerobic exercise (one that’s shorter but uses a lot of energy like sprinting) is a fantastic technique when working out. A kickboxing workout is similar to running and then lifting weights, except simultaneously.
The results that are achieved, beyond weight loss, include bone density, joint strength, muscle strength, and cardiovascular endurance. And honestly, who wouldn’t want a higher bone density? I know I do.
Kicking and punching a punching bag, however, isn’t totally accessible to everyone. Luckily, there are techniques to kicking and punching without additional aid. Workout styles such as Tae Bo come to mind. Tae Bo is simply a workout regimen of kicks and punches at a fast pace. This style encapsulates what kickboxing is all about.
Most people, however, belong to a gym or fitness center. Personally, I’ve belonged to several (as the economy gets worse, the establishment I choose changes). Many places have classes or designated areas for people who want to try kickboxing. Others don’t have much more than areas to jump-rope, let alone kickbox.
For the gyms that do have the designated areas, usually classes ensue. Such classes may incorporate Tae Bo-esque exercises; others might primarily be actual kickboxing lessons. Whatever the case may be, there’s a place to practice. You just have to find it.
And finding one would be worth it. The benefits to kickboxing are as clear as a pane of glass. The passing on of someone’s knowledge to you is insurmountable. Especially if your main resource is something like the article you’re currently reading.
So if it’s time to feel great, look great, and have fantastic bone density. Then it’s time to start kickboxing.
