Benefits of Cardio Kickboxing
Cardio kickboxing is a popular fitness regimen that often replaces aerobics and indoor exercise equipment workouts.
Cardio kickboxing is a popular fitness regimen that often replaces aerobics and indoor exercise equipment workouts. A form of kickboxing called Tae-Bo and other martial arts-inspired forms of exercise rank among the most popular fitness classes in gyms throughout the country, according to the American Council on Education. Cardio kickboxing is a total-body workout with a plethora of benefits.
Weight Reduction
Cardio kickboxing is an aerobic workout, which increases the heart rate and helps to burn fat and calories. During a one-hour workout, you can expect to burn as many as 350 to 450 calories, according to the ACE.
Coordination
The kicking and punching moves of the exercise help to improve balance and coordination. Reflexes become sharpened from the workout.
Strength Building
Punches made with precision and power in kickboxing help to build upper- and lower-body muscles. The hamstrings become stronger as you master the art of kicking properly. Abdominal muscles are strengthened from the various positions required to perform many of the moves. Core strength is improved as you balance to perform the routines.
Cardiovascular Improvements
Most cardio kickboxing classes result in sweat-drenched participants. Instructors keep students moving through the entire workout. Heart rate and blood circulation speed up, strengthening cardiovascular fitness. Your heart rate remains elevated as you jump, weave and bob through kicks and punches.
Time Savings
Because cardio kickboxing is a total-body workout, you can save time by combining your workouts into one routine. According to American Fitness Professionals and Associates, cardio kickboxing is an efficient use of your time. No physical contact is used in the exercise, but all the important aspects of exercising are included in the routine. Cardiovascular and respiratory fitness, flexibility, strength building, endurance and body composition all are covered with one workout.
Self Defense
Kicking and punching are valuable self-defense skills that develop when learning kickboxing. The workout incorporates many traditional martial arts components that can assist you when needed. Practicing kickboxing on an immobile object like a punching bag can help you learn how to gauge the distance of your moves. You also can develop a sense of your own limitations and strengths.
Stress Reduction
Taking out your frustrations on a punching bag is an effective means of relieving stress, according to American Fitness Professionals and Associates. High-intensity workouts such as cardio kickboxing replace endorphins lost when the body becomes stressed.