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Beginner’s Guide to Kickboxing

Sweating out any stress that may have accumulated throughout the day is a huge benefit of going to the gym. Exercise can divert, relieve, and refocus your perspective on anything, including office politics or a nagging leak in the ceiling.

Altering your usual yoga sequence or running route can be beneficial sometimes, but other times, a completely new training regimen is  what you need to relieve your stress. Taking your stress out on a punching bag is a healthy way to work stress out of your system, even though kickboxing is less popular than Pilates, spin, or other popular fitness styles. You might enjoy it enough to make the workout a regular part of your routine.

History of Kickboxing

Kickboxing is a full-contact form of Muay Thai, a Thai martial art that originated in Thailand. Muay Thai was originally designed for self-defense, but it evolved into a sport when unarmed combat ceased to be useful in war. 1 Kickboxing originated from a combination of Muay Thai and other martial arts.

This eventually evolved into a full-contact sport with timed rounds and even moved into a boxing ring. Thus, the term “kickboxing” was coined.

If kickboxing interests you, you are not alone. In the 1990s and early 2000s, kickboxing gained popularity in group fitness circles due to Tae Bo’s best-selling workout videos. Eventually, this became known as cardio kickboxing. Numerous additional instructors subsequently developed videos and classes based on cardio kickboxing. In addition, group fitness centers frequently offer other variations of martial arts and boxing workouts.

Benefits of Kickboxing

Physical activity has been shown to increase stamina, lower blood pressure, and promote restful sleep. Kickboxing has many of the same advantages as other forms of exercise and group fitness, plus some of its own.

Physical Benefits

Kickboxing can target various muscles depending on the style of kickboxing you use. Kickboxing that focuses on your abs is more cardio-intensive. A martial art, regular kickboxing can target muscles all over your body. Kickboxing typically focuses on strengthening the upper body.

Besides increasing upper body strength, kickboxing also increases anaerobic fitness, flexibility, speed, and agility.

Everyday Benefits

Kickboxing is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health because it involves a lot of cardio. Heart and blood vessel health are also called cardiovascular health. Heart disease and other heart problems can be made less likely by having a healthy heart.

You can also improve your coordination and balance by doing kickboxing. Kickboxing requires good hand-eye coordination, a sense of space, and the ability to react quickly. Working on these things all the time can also help you in your daily life.

Get the Right Kickboxing Gear

According to Dibernardo, hand wraps and boxing gloves are required by the majority of studios. These are designed to safeguard your hands from harm. Obviously, you should also purchase a large water bottle. These are the minimum requirements, but you should always consult with your instructor to determine any specific equipment requirements.

Nelson elaborated that you will need sneakers with traction and a hair tie if you have long hair. Safety equipment may include:

Bag gloves

Sparring gloves

Headwear

Mouthguard

Shin guards

You should wear comfortable clothes but not too baggy or easily caught on objects. Also, remove any jewelry, as it may cause injury or become caught on something. 

Kickboxing and Mental Health

Kickboxers often have to fight under a lot of pressure, so they must be highly motivated and have a strong will. No one likes to fail, and you won’t win every fight as a kickboxer. Because kickboxing matches are so competitive, many kickboxers must work on their confidence.

Kickboxing is a constant battle between the mind and the body to keep getting better, so it’s essential to have the right attitude. Always work on getting in better shape, don’t take losses too hard, and make sure that healing from any injuries you get is your top priority.

Kickboxing is a fun way to change up your workout routine and get in shape. You might like it so much that you do it every day. No matter how often you kickboxing, keeping a healthy mind and using the right safety techniques are essential.