When it comes to working out and worrying about your fitness, there are many options. One of my favorite options is kickboxing. Besides the fact that I’m a nationally certified kickboxing instructor, the excitement and sheer joy that I get out of hitting a bag is second to none. Let’s talk about some of the benefits that kickboxing provides.
Cardio Endurance:
The kickboxing class that I teach lasts 60 minutes. We start off with a strong warm up where you are jogging around the gym, and then you start focusing on each area of the body to help improve cardiovascular strength and endurance. We focus on arms (pushups, tricep pushups, diamond pushups) legs (squats, jump squats, lunges, side lunges) core (V-ups, X-ups, scissor kicks, flutter kicks). This really gets your blood pumping and within that warm up, I’ve seen clients burn up to 250 calories and that’s just the beginning. This is all before we even get the gloves on and start hitting the bag. Once we do that, you start working every muscle in your body with punches and kicks because you are pivoting your body and working your core with every hit.
Self-Defense:
One of the biggest advantages to knowing how to kick box is the ability to defend yourself. Knowing how to properly throw a jab or an elbow and where to throw it can save your life should you ever be faced with the situation. I’ve taught my clients, on multiple occasions, how to throw a properly executed elbow or knee that would leave someone hurting. It’s not uncommon that I’m asked about this and I want to make sure that my clients are fully aware of what they can do with the moves they learn from kickboxing, should the opportunity ever present itself.
Body Transformation:
Learning how to properly kick box can help you burn over 1,000 calories in an hour. Trust me, I’ve done it. During one class, I burned 1,126 calories to show that hard work and dedication can lead to big results. What people don’t realize is that the gloves you wear are weighted so every time you throw a combination, you have added weight that is toning up your biceps, triceps, shoulders and forearms. Beyond that, your chest and back muscles are also being supported as secondary muscles to help your arms. Kickboxing will not make you a bulky person either. I use 16-ounce gloves (for reference, most of my clients use 12 ounce gloves and professional MMA fighters are using about 4-8 ounce gloves) and I’ve seen the definition in my arms change drastically. Plus, with kicking, you are using the biggest muscles in your body. When done properly, your core is constantly engaged so you will see your arms and legs tone while shredding up your midsection. Because you know, who doesn’t want a smaller mid section?
Mood Enhancer:
Have you ever been in a bad mood and once you worked out, felt completely better? It’s because your body is releasing endorphins that help stimulate your mind and put you in a better mood. Kickboxing will help to do that. It also allows you to get out a lot of frustration that you may have from the day including work stress, relationship stress and just overall issues that may be weighing you down. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into the studio and just needed to hit things because of life just being life. It really does change your mood.
You Can Do It Anywhere:
The best part about kickboxing and martial arts in general is that you can do it anywhere; you don’t necessarily need a bag to hit. Many times, my friends and I will throw on gloves and go outside and just spar with one another. You don’t need a lot of space and by working with a partner, you work on your technique plus you both get a workout, whether or not you’re the one throwing the punches. Resistance is a beautiful thing
These are some of the reasons that I love kickboxing so much. I love to teach class, I love to take class and it really does work. If you live in the South Florida area and want to take one of my classes, let me know, the first ones on me and I guarantee you will be hooked after that.
If you have anything that you want me to write about in the fitness world, hit me up on social media @CTKerney on everything and let me know.
CT Kerney – Fitness Instructor, Social Media Manager, and Personal Trainer in Delray Beach, Florida
https://about.me/ctkerney
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Wow! It really surprised me that you can burn over 1,000 calories an hour when you’ve learned how to properly kick box. I’ve been thinking of doing kickboxing as a way to learn self defense, but now I think I may join to lose some extra weight. What tips do you have for finding a great kickboxing class?
Hi Bethany,
I’m sorry I just saw this! I always suggest asking instructors what their experience level is, how they teach, how many instructors are there during a class, do they work 1-1 with clients, how often they have classes and do my research on each company. I lost 75lbs kickboxing.
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