If you are looking to get your fitness routine to the next level, kickboxing might just be the thing you have been looking for! The high energy combating technique combines martial arts with heart-pumping cardio routines, leading to health benefits that go beyond regular exercising routines.
What is kickboxing?
Kickboxing is a stand-up combat sport derived from the ancient martial art of karate. Kickboxing merges and combines moves and techniques from multiple martial arts including Muay Thai, full-contact karate and boxing, and can, therefore, be seen as a hybrid martial arts form. As the name suggests, kickboxing incorporates kicking and boxing and uses hands and feet as contact points.
Kickboxing can be used as a form of self-defense, as a contact sport or just for general fitness. It originated in the 1950s in Japan and has gained worldwide popularity since then. The benefits of kickboxing are many and they are of physical, mental and spiritual nature. In the following, we have aimed at including some of them to help you kick-start your kickboxing practice as well!
1) Tone your figure & burn calories
As a high-energy full-body martial art, you can be sure to sweat it out in a kickboxing class. Kickboxing helps you burn up to 800 calories per hour and revs up your metabolism, so you even continue burning calories after class. It is thus one of the most effective sports to transform your body, tone muscles and lose excess weight in a healthy manner.
Because kickboxing is a great cardio workout, it is extremely effective in burning stubborn belly fat which is associated with diabetes, heart disease and even some forms of cancer. A study published in the American Journal of Physiology confirmed aerobic exercise as a better form of reducing belly fat than resistance training.
2) Cardiovascular health
Kickboxing is beneficial for your heart health. In the sweaty training, you’ll most definitely get your heart and lungs pumping. Having a strong heart is extremely important, as cardiovascular diseases are the number one death cause in the world. With training your heart through kickboxing, you avoid high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, heart and arterial disease and high cholesterol.
3) Self-defense
Kickboxing is a very versatile martial art and therefore extremely beneficial to know in case of an attack as it teaches you many basics on how to defend yourself. With a regular kickboxing training, you will be able to improve your reflexes and strengthen your abilities for self-defense.
Even though most people practice kickboxing for its physical benefits, you will feel much safer alone on the street at night knowing kickboxing. Being able to protect yourself is a valuable asset and can be extremely empowering.
4) Great relief for stress and aggression
Everyone is stressed out or raging sometimes. Kickboxing is a great way to let out and relieve these stuck emotions in a safe way. In fact, there are probably not many things that are more satisfying than punching a 300-pound bag when you’re really angry. Who says you need therapy or meditation, when you can release your stress and anger during a kickboxing class - of course always in a safe and non-violent way!
When you exercise very hard, like in a kickboxing class, your body will release important neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin in large doses. These neurochemicals have the ability to relieve stress and help you feel happy and relaxed.
5) Respect
Many martial arts, including kickboxing, teach the student respect. Respect to your trainer, your master, respect for your opponent and also respect for yourself. You have to listen to and obey to the rules of your trainer and respect your opponent as coequal to you.
Martial arts tend to be are very strict in the student-master-relationship and kickboxing is no exception. Those who don’t follow the rules will have to leave. Kickboxing is a great way to learn to respect and accept others as well as yourself.
Once you give the teacher respect, they will respect you in turn as well. Following orders and learning to cooperate as a team are skills that are very beneficial to acquire in your personal life as well.
6) Focus and Concentration
Without patience, dedication and persistence, no one can really master kickboxing. Like other martial arts, kickboxing increases focus and concentration. While you are training, you put your whole attention to learning to master the moves, kicks and punches of kickboxing and controlling your body.
If you are distracted and not focused on the training itself, your opponent has greater potential to find weak points and attack you and you will not be able to get better and master the moves. Being completely focused and concentrated also means being fully immersed in the present moment, not letting your mind wander or be concerned of the problems of everyday life. Kickboxing therefore increases your mental sharpness and also trains your brain.
Result: Confidence
We have mentioned before that there are only little things boosting your confidence as much as knowing that you are able to defend yourself against assaulters. But kickboxing has even more benefits that boost your confidence. Kickboxing also tones you physically, giving you the confidence of a great outward appearance and the credit that you put hard work into it. More so, being physically able to do things you weren’t able to do before can also boost self-confidence.
The benefits of kickboxing can easily spill over to other life areas, like your professional life. Maybe your successes in kickboxing finally give you the necessary confidence to ask for that raise or to apply for the new position.
If you would like to try out kickboxing or are interested in other martial arts courses, join us for your next combat session to release some energy and kick some … See what we have coming up below!
Written by Clara Malzer
