We are all familiar with kickboxing as one of the stand-up combat sports. It’s fun and thrilling to watch. However, this type of martial art is not only practised as a form of contact sport or for self-defence, but also for general fitness.
If you are a sportsperson and looking improve your agility, power and balance, kickboxing is ideal among workouts. Here is a quick guide on the world around kickboxing workout and some of the benefits it has on your body.
1.Fat Loss
Kickboxing is one of the many martial arts and studies have shown that an hour-long session of moderate intensity combat sport can burn up to 500 calories. This is slightly equivalent to the same amount you’d burn in swimming workouts.
Muay Thai is one of the styles in kickboxing known to torch significant amounts of fat. Thai boxing not only involves punching and kicking, but also the use of elbows, clinch fighting and slow kicks.
2.Improve Fitness, Power and Flexibility
A study on the effects of kickboxing training on physical fitness revealed that the exercise impacted several benefits such as speed and agility, muscle power and flexibility.
3.Improve Coordination
The sport is also known to enhance coordination by boosting neuromuscular control, especially for people with multiple sclerosis. Kickboxing will improve the coordination between your balance, mobility and your ability to multitask.
This combat sport is highly encouraged for adults who are prone to experience muscle weakness and falls. It allows one to create both anticipatory and reactive balance that is essential for both physical muscle and brain muscle strength.
4.Overal Fitness
Although tai chi is the slowest type of kickboxing, it helps to address the main components of fitness, which are coordination, muscle strength, mobility, balance and aerobic conditioning. Tai chi is a low impact and slow-motion exercise that lets you meditate while executing different motions. Unlike MMA, the mixed martial arts, tai chi helps the muscles to relax rather than being tense as it boosts your sensory organs and stretches receptor in the muscles and ligaments.
However, just like other forms of vigorous exercise, kickboxing could also cause injuries. The most common being knee and back injuries, according to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Therefore, if you are new to combat sport, it’s highly recommended to engage in it gradually as you adapt to the program.
