Monday, January 2, 2012

Weight Loss and Body Toning Effects of Kickboxing Workouts


Most gyms and fitness centers offer some form of kickboxing -- either traditional martial arts or high-energy cardio kickboxing classes. Kickboxing incorporates moves that require strength, cardiovascular endurance and flexibility, all while blasting calories. Add a class or two each week to your regular routine, and experience the benefits of this demanding form of exercise.
Improved Cardiovascular Fitness
The American Council on Exercise put cardio kickboxing cardiovascular benefits to the test and found that participants who performed an hourlong kickboxing workout raised their heart rates to an average of 75 to 85 percent of their maximum heart rates -- a level on the upper end of the 65 to 85 percent recommendation for cardiovascular exercise. Cardiovascular exercise can help prevent heart disease by increasing blood flow through your arteries and veins, keeping your cardiovascular system flexible.
Weight Management
When you regularly perform cardiovascular and strength-training exercises, maintaining or losing weight becomes easier to accomplish. To maintain your weight, you have to take in the same number of calories as you burn on a consistent basis. According to the American Council on Exercise, a 135-lb. woman burns between 350 and 450 calories in an hourlong kickboxing class -- and if you weigh more, your calorie-burn rate will increase further. Combined with a balanced and healthy diet, weight management or loss is quite possible with regular kickboxing classes.
Strength and Flexibility
During an average kickboxing class, you jab, kick, squat, lunge, jump and twist your way through the workout. Some classes use boxing gloves, heavy bags and targets that force you to increase your workload as you exercise. Even though you aren't performing traditional weightlifting or stretching exercises, the function of the movements incorporated during a kickboxing workout force your body to activate your muscles and stretch reflexes, enhancing your strength and flexibility. In fact, according to the American Fitness Professionals & Associates website, cardio kickboxing can improve all five components of fitness: muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition and cardiovascular endurance. To see results, you need to consistently stick with your routine and continue challenging yourself with new moves as older moves become easier to perform.

 
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