Getting too much activity is not a problem for people in the United States. It has been estimated that fewer than 5% of American adults get 30 minutes or more of physical activity every day and a mere third get the recommended amount of exercise every week. There are a number of different activities people can participate in. Many people turn to martial arts to get into shape. A person can burn 500 calories during a one-hour martial arts class. For a number of people around the country, kickboxing classes are the preferred way to work out. There were 6.9 million people, aged six and above, who used kickboxing to get or stay in shape. The benefits of kickboxing include:
- Kickboxing classes are great for burning fat. This is especially true for women. These are high-energy classes that burn a lot of fat. Experts say people who take the classes are able to burn up to 750 calories each hour. When classes include conditioning drills and jumping rope, the number of calories burned rises to 900 each hour. One thing that makes kickboxing so good at burning calories and fat is the high-intensity cardio workout that is a part of it. Women benefit a lot because this kind of workout it especially good at burning belly fat that can be an indicator of heart disease. The American Journal of Physiology has reported that aerobic activity is much better at burning fat than other kinds of workouts such as weight training. Heart disease is one of the most common killers of women so finding a workout that can reduce this risk is a very important thing women can do for their health.
- Kickboxing classes can help tone the whole body. Many of these classes include circuit training, core strengthening exercises, and jumping rope. This means the entire body gets a good workout. All muscles are used during a session. This workout is amped up by the use of kickboxing pads, which lets a participant burn even more calories. The kickboxing moves help strengthen the back and reduce a person’s waist. These classes also improve a person’s coordination.
- Kickboxing classes can help women learn good self-defense techniques. It is true that most of the time, women take these kinds of classes to get in shape and lose weight. At the same time that these classes help women with those things, they also can train people on self-defense techniques at the same time. As trainers teach new moves, they also emphasize the real world uses for many of the moves. Many women find this aspect of these classes to be very empowering.
- These classes are great for stress reduction. There are few workouts that let women get out their aggression and reduce their stress level as kickboxing classes. Intense physical activity is better at relieving stress and working through aggression than many other ways people seek to unwind after a long day at work. This also means women who take these classes sleep better and experience improved mental acuity. Intense workouts also promote the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain killers and mood elevators. While many kinds of intense workouts can provide some of the same effects, working out in a group enhances the positive responses to the exercise.
- Many women report feeling more confident and sexy after taking kickboxing classes. Some women say that they experience a boost in confidence and feel better about the way they look when they leave their classes after a good workout. These workouts are very intense so women who do them say they see the results faster than with any other workout classes. The end result is that women feel better about their abilities and appearance after they have taken a few of these classes. It is hard to beat the confidence bump women experience when they take kickboxing classes.
Women have a lot of options when it comes to workout programs. Any exercise regimen that people follow on a regular basis can provide a plethora of health benefits for men, women, and even children. Kickboxing classes may not be one of the ancient martial arts but the health benefits for women cannot be overstated.