Many people ask us if kickboxing can tone their bodies. The answer is yes – if you follow the proper kickboxing training drills.
Kickboxing has several benefits. It helps build muscle mass, boosts your metabolism, and pushes your body to lose weight faster. It is a full-body workout that uses every muscle and strengthens your core. This cardio workout also improves your flexibility, balance, and coordination, and can help build faster reflexes.
Here, you will learn why kickboxing is considered one of the best workouts.
Why Kickboxing Is the Perfect Full Body Workout
The blend of cardio and strength training used for kickboxing targets muscles throughout your body. It results in overall toning to burn calories and increases your strength.
Keep reading to learn the advantages of kickboxing, which will have you adding this workout to your fitness regime.
- Improves Your Power, Fitness, and Cardiovascular Health
If you want to improve your cardiovascular health, doing this high-intensity exercise regularly is the best way to take care of your heart. Not only will it strengthen you but it effectively works to reduce belly fat. A recent survey of healthy men in their twenties who kick-boxed 3x a week for 5 weeks showed significant improvement in aerobic upper-body muscle power, anaerobic fitness, flexibility, speed, and agility. Since belly fat is correlated with heart disease and diabetes, kickboxing also reduces your chances of having those fatal diseases as well.
- It Tones Your Entire Body
Kickboxing tones and strengthens your body by working on all your muscles, such as:
- Certain leg muscles are activated the entire time you practise, such as your quadriceps and gluteal muscles. They are crucial when throwing kicks. Your lower leg muscles and calves will also get a lot tougher.
- The constant movement of kickboxing moves your center of balance. Therefore, you need to focus on working your lower torso muscles, including the lower back, abdomen, and hips. (If they are not strong enough, you will not be able to perform well.) Kickboxing gives you more visible abs, and you will notice a significant improvement in your obliques and spinal erectors.
- Kickboxing has an impact on the upper torso as well which includes chest muscles, the upper back, the trapezius, and neck muscles. Since the kickboxing stance requires you to have your arms up the whole time, this leads to the upper torso muscles being active. The constant head movement you need in combat strengthens your trapezius and neck muscles.
- Fast-paced movements like throwing punches, blocks, dodges, and countering strengthen your arms and shoulders. Initially, you will feel the burn, but, eventually, your shoulders will get bigger; not only your upper arm (biceps, triceps) but your lower arm and hand muscles too
To sum up, kickboxing is an incredible workout that will tone your entire body.
- It’s a Full Body Burn
Kickboxing provides an aerobic workout that burns calories and can help you lose weight. A person who weighs 155 pounds can burn 372 calories during just 30 minutes of kickboxing. But you have to observe your heart rate as well. If it doesn’t stay high throughout the class, you may not be doing it properly.
- It’s a Great Stress Release
Besides burning calories, kickboxing is a great stress reliever. It releases endorphins to help reduce stress and boost confidence. Studies have shown that this constant movement improves focus and endurance, and can diminish feelings of anxiety, depression, and anger. Kickboxing’s high-energy workout provides a useful outlet for stress and frustration.
- Improves Balance, Coordination, and Flexibility
Hand-eye coordination is a vital part of kickboxing. So, the more you practise, the better you get. The constant movement and need to maintain your balance may seem intimidating at first. But, with proper training, you can quickly learn the ropes and improve your overall balance and coordination.
Another great advantage of kickboxing is that it increases flexibility thanks to the muscle stretching necessary. Kickboxing involves a lot of standing on one leg and kicking with the other, forcing you to balance on one leg. By being flexible, you keep yourself from falling.
If you are interested in burning calories in a way that effectively tones your body and teaches you self-defence, try kickboxing. Want to give your life a new direction and discover a new you? Contact our kickboxing experts today.