Kickboxing is a sport, but it’s also a good way for you to exercise. It’s not perfect, starting with not every gym can offer kickboxing classes or have the proper equipment. But if you’re lucky, you can live near a gym that offers these classes. The 9 Round Gym even specializes in kickboxing workouts.
There’s also the rather unpleasant prospect of injury. It’s true that you can get hurt doing almost any sort of exercise, like jogging. But it happens more often in martial arts disciplines, which include kickboxing. At least the chances of injury are reduced when it comes with kickboxing training. It’s a lot more common with kickboxing bouts.
Still, it’s difficult to ignore the special benefits of kickboxing as a way to exercise.
Versatile and Effective in Burning Calories
Kickboxing is a great way to develop muscle mass, and kickboxers generally have lower percentages of body fat. The point of kickboxing, after all, is to fight effectively using punches and kicks, and you will need both strength and speed.
You also burn a lot of calories with kickboxing classes. A class may not even go a full hour, but you can end up burning as many as 450 calories in that time.
Kickboxing works for muscle development, cardiovascular health, and weight loss. It improves your balance, flexibility, and coordination. That means you’re less likely to stumble around as you go on doing your daily activities.
Great for Confidence
There’s also the fact that this is a form of martial arts, and that usually means an emphasis in building confidence. Whining is actively discouraged, but it doesn’t happen often when students voluntarily enlist for kickboxing classes. In fact, they feel better about themselves, knowing that they’re gaining knowledge and skills in self-defense.
This kind of positive outlook transfers to just about all the other aspects in your life. You’ll end up feeling better about your work and your social life. You know that you can face challenges.
Improved Posture
When you take kickboxing classes, you’ll learn about proper form and posture. You have to, since improper form invariably leads to injuries. It’s crucial to learn proper posture not just in kickboxing but in life in general. This is especially true when you sit at a desk all day long, as that generally leads to bad posture.
With bad posture, you’re at greater risk of back pain and spinal dysfunction in the future. You may suffer from joint degeneration. Your health and appearance can also suffer, with problems like rounded shoulders and a potbelly.
Kickboxing also tones and strengthens your abs, as you need your abs for proper stability. Improved abs can support your balance, so you’re able to execute kickboxing moves with care and accuracy.
Reduced Stress
Stress, tension, and anger can build up, and these are feelings that should be vented. They can become toxic if they’re ignored. Stress can actually be a contributing factor to a wide range of health issues. It can lead to obesity and heart disease. It can make asthma, ulcer, and diabetes works. It’s one of the most common triggers of headaches, and it’s also associated with depression.
But hitting things is one very common way of venting your stress and anger, and kickboxing gives you a safe way of doing this. It’s also much better than destroying stuff in your home, or hitting other people in your life.
Improved Sleep
When you’ve vented your anger and tired yourself out with your hitting and punching, you’re more likely to fall asleep faster at night. Your sleep will be much better in the end.
The lack of sleep is also another problem that can lead to more serious health issues. You increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a weakened immune system. Lack of sleep can also contribute to memory issues, troubles with concentration, and a lower libido.
Helps with Your Mental Health
When you’re kickboxing, the combination of improved confidence, stress relief, and better sleep leads to an overall improvement of your mental health. Kickboxing, like many strenuous workouts, also increase the production of endorphins. These endorphins create a general feeling of well-being, even as it also works as natural painkillers.
These endorphins are why so many people experience a feeling of euphoria water they’ve done a taxing workout. They’re then followed by a more positive outlook, and you also get an enhanced feeling of greater energy.
Low endorphin levels have been associated to both headaches and depression. Since the endorphins bring about improved feelings of wellbeing, they’re natural treatments for depression.