Many people give up on exercise because it either becomes boring, or they start to hit a plateau and their exercise activities just don't seem to work like they used to. The key to maintaining a healthy fit body for life is to find challenging activities you love to do and mix them up so your body never becomes too used to anything.
Cardio kickboxing is an excellent choice for an ambitious exercise enthusiast who really wants a great calorie-burner to throw into their routine. Even if you are looking to throw away your old routine entirely, cardio kickboxing is an excellent replacement because it is set up in such a way so your body can not get too used to any one thing. And, it's never boring!
The Technique
The activities are high-energy combinations of punching, kicking, jumping, running, core work, and strength training done on a life-size punching bag, with weights and/or resistance bands, or on the mats. Due to the fact that the classes encompass all these things in a 60 minute time period, you get a complete workout that improves flexibility, strength, muscle tone, cardio endurance, and even self defense. And, the best part is, the calorie burn is more intense than ninety percent of the exercise classes in existence because your heart will never stop pumping!
Why It Works
Most people are aware that if they do the same activity day in and day out for months, eventually it will stop working to tone and slim down their physique and their body will adjust. This is not the case with cardio kickboxing. If the trainer does it right, he/she will work you hard on the lower half of your body, then work you just as hard on the upper half so the lower can recuperate, and then repeat the process throughout the workout. By “burning out” the muscles in an area by mixing up different exercises, giving them time to relax, and going back to them later to work in different ways (all the while at a cardio pace so you work to lose weight as well as simultaneously build lean muscle mass), you ensure your body never gets used to anything and continues to advance in both appearance and ability. And, as you develop in skill and strength, you can become better at the activities and work harder to burn more calories.
The Keys to a Good Cardio Kickboxing Class
All cardio kickboxing classes are not created equal, unfortunately. To find a class to give you the kind of results you are looking for, you should find one that incorporates the intense cardio activity and the bag work, at the very least. Classes that don't do the punching and kicking on a bag will not yield the same type of results, and can injure muscles after a time. Cardio kickboxing trainers who aim for even greater calorie-burning potential might also incorporate weights or resistance bands to the cardio and bag work. Some trainers even use jump rope and jogging around the block to spike the participants' heart rate for the intense interval training that creates fitness faster than other methods. Make sure you do your homework; try a few local classes at gyms or martial arts studios and see what works. The more fun you are having and the harder you work, the more likely you are to stick with it and see the results you want!
References
-Interview with Corey Paternoster, certified fitness trainer and owner of Dynamic Martial Arts Family Center, Greenwich, CT
-Interview with Al Annunziato, personal fitness trainer, Melbourne, FL
