Try kickboxing to punch up your exercise regimen

By Ashley Albrecht

May 9, 2005 | Kickboxing is a unique workout that is punching its way into the lifestyles of many students and adults spicing up their regular exercise routines and bringing many benefits.

Many students and adults find themselves trying to find the best fitness routine that will fit into their busy schedules. Most students have a way of what they like to do each time they go to the gym. Some typical workouts for students may include running on a treadmill, elliptical machines, stair-steppers, bikes, lifting weights, swimming, or just taking a walk. Kickboxing is a workout that has caught the attention of many.

According to Jen Keith, director of Student Activities Board (STAB) fitness classes at USU, "kickboxing is offered to Utah State students either as an enrolled class called "self defense," or we also have drop in classes where students can come try out a class. We have three classes that tie in kickboxing. The first is called step/kickboxing, the second is regular kickboxing, and the third is called Kick/Tone."

Kickboxing is also offered at various gyms throughout Cache Valley, such as Sports Academy and Racquet Club. Certified Kickbox instructor Jen White who teaches at Sports Academy said "Kickboxing is a great way to relieve your stress and combine regular aerobic activity with kickboxing moves. "It's also a great way to tone muscles, and have fun," White said.

To check out times of classes offered at sports academy, you can go to Sports Academy.

"Muscle and Fitness magazine rated aerobic kickboxing as the number one fat burner with over 800 calories burned in a one hour class." (Karate and Fitness). Some of the benefits listed by The Karate and Fitness Center located in Warren, Mich. are fat loss, toning, stress relief, flexibility, and self-confidence.

According to the Welsh Academy of Martial Arts, one of the main, obvious benefits of taking up kickboxing/karate would be Self-defense. "As well as learning physical skills, karate/kickboxing can help us to understand that a threatening situation may be around the corner and allow us to avoid it."

In order to guarantee a full workout in kickboxing, fitness pro and kickbox instructor Denise Howard shares some of her tips on Google groups. Howard said, "You should ask yourself if you are actually applying yourself to the movements, or if you are simply just going to class. A good workout is not attained by simply being in a room where exercise is happening. One of the most common mistakes among exercisers, either group or solo, is just going through the motions halfheartedly," she said.

"Think about what you are doing," Howard said. "Large controlled movements using most of the major musclse of your body will have you panting in no time. Consistency is at least as important at the quality of workouts."

Kickboxing is also similar to karate. According to Kids Health, "the true roots of kickboxing date back to Asia 2,000 years ago, modern competitive kickboxing actually started in the 1970s."

Pat Smith, Karate teacher at Sports Academy said there are many similarities between kickboxing and karate. "There are similarities in the use of legs. Karate is the mix of both feet and hands,it has more variety, however, both use a lot of kicking moves," Smith said. "Anyone who wants to see a demonstration is welcome to come to the North end of Sports Academy, Thursday nights at seven," Smith said.

Aleana Preston, a parks and recreation major said, "I occasionally go to kickboxing classes because they're unique and different from any other workout I usually do."

Karli Wilson, a junior majoring in nutrtition and has attended some kickboxing classes at Sports Academy said, "I love kickboxing, I think it's the funnest way to get a great workout. It's also a great way to tone your arms. After each session I go to I feel so relieved, it's great."

So why would kickboxing be better than any other form of aerobic exrecise? Here is an opinion from Scornavacco Family Karate located in Longmont,Colo. "Fitness kickboxing takes music, excitement, and energy of an aerobics workout and does it one better. Other workouts can tone your thighs, buttocks and hips, but ours does it while teaching you self-defense techniques like jabbing, kicking, punching and blocking. You're not just mindlessly dancing around -- your learning to protect yourself."

Kickboxing is something that can be very fun, but there are safety tips that should be taken. IDEA health and fitness (the leading international membership organization in the health and fitness industry) offers kickboxers some very useful safety tips.Cardio Kickbox Safety Tips.

"Although the range of benefits is impressive, cardio kickboxing also poses considerable risk of injury, particularly for new exercisers or participants who don't know how to protect themselves from the potential dangers. Even very fit exercisers can be challenged by their first class."

So glove up and give it a try. Get ready to punch your into a fun, exciting exercise routine that will benefit you in a variety of ways.

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