Are you in the never-ending quest for losing weight, looking for a workout that can increase your flexibility, stamina, strength and self-confidence? You might want to take a look at kickboxing. Kickboxing began in Asia around 2,000 years ago and became a competitive event in 1970, when karate experts decided to create a competition that would allow contact punches and kicks that weren’t allowed in karate.
Cardio Kickboxing or Kickboxing for Fitness
Nowadays, kickboxing is a popular workout for people of all ages. Also referred to as cardio kickboxing, it combines martial arts, boxing and aerobics to provide overall physical fitness. Unlike an actual kickboxing, cardiovascular kickboxing doesn’t include physical contact. Yep, gone are the days where kickboxing requires a lot of sparring. Physique experts have turned the sport into a friendlier way of getting a good workout.
Health Benefits of Kickboxing
- Keeps Your Muscles Strong
Kickboxing teaches you how to throw a punch and kick. If you want to do it extremely well, you need to have strong muscles so that you’ll be able to use your hand and legs instantaneously in conjunction with your footwork and balance.
- Burns Calories
Kickboxing is anything but boring. You will burn around 400-800 calories per hour-long session without even knowing. It’s really good for your heart!
- Tone your Body
Not only is kickboxing fast-paced, explosive and fun, but even beginners can do a full body workout without any adjustments. It is a great way to tone your physique and build a fitter you.
- Improves your Flexibility
Kickboxing is the best way to develop your flexibility. 
The warm-up for the class often involves stretches and mobilization strategies for the hips and shoulders. Kickboxing itself will mobilize the hips since you kick to the side and front of your body. Over time, you’ll notice a larger range of motion.
Usually, a kickboxing round takes about 2-3 minutes, followed by a 60-second break. This makes is a High-Intensity Interval Training workout, also known as a HIIT workout.
- Stabilizes your Energy
Kickboxing exhausts a lot of energy, but it also stabilizes your energy by building your stamina and strength. You may feel especially tired after your first few sessions, but this will be lessened over time.
Kickboxing has a list of health benefits. However, like most sports, individuals tend to overlook some of its mental benefits. Hitting the pads and bags is a great way to release tension.
All of us need to do cardio workouts to protect our heart from diseases and control our weight. With kickboxing, you get a cardio workout and one that builds muscles. Are you familiar with Crossfit workouts? This follows the same theory, but with less repetition. It is a great way to improve digestion and use your energy.
- Improves your Body Strength
Punching, jumping and kicking requires you to exert a high amount of body strength. Most heavy bags can weigh about a hundred pounds – think about it.
- Improves your Body Composition
Some say kickboxing is the best method for weight loss, because it gives you a perfect mechanism to improve your body’s composition. One reason it works is because it combines muscle strength movements, giving you a great fat-burning workout.
In What Other Ways Can Kickboxing Help Me?
Self-Defense: – Kickboxing is a martial art that was originally developed for combat, so it’s perfect for self-defense. Learning how to defend yourself AND getting fit? Amazing.
Self-Confidence: – Get fit and achieve an astonishing physique gives you a boost in your self-confidence. Imagine being able to wear smaller sizes that you’ve only dreamed of? Couple this with the fact that you are able to defend yourself against an aggressor, and you’ll find yourself walking with your head held high.
Company/New Friends: – By attending a class, you’ll get the chance to meet a bunch of new, friendly people. So get out there, get fit and grow your network!
Conclusion
If you want to stay fit and you’ve tried all the other boring methods to get the physique you want, kickboxing might be what you’re looking for. It’s a complete body workout that really makes you sweat until you’ve achieved your desired look. Plus, there’s the bonus of being able to defend yourself.
