The list of exercise routines, methods, and fads seems to expand by the day. Often, some of the most popular exercises include the least amount of applicable knowledge or skills. While it’s great to go running or swimming, do you really learn anything new or useful—besides how to swim or run? The same could be said for doing burpees, push-ups, deadlifts and a wide variety of other exercises that are so popular these days. However, what if you could get great exercise and pick up valuable life skills in the process? What if an exercise routine can have a direct impact on not only how you feel physically but how you feel about yourself as a person? Enter kickboxing. Kickboxing, contrary to the belief of some, is not a sport that glorifies violence or teaches folks how to be violent people. Rather, it is centered on self-discipline and the potential for getting the most out of your physical and mental self. Kickboxing is also a ton of fun. Check out some of the benefits of using kickboxing to burn calories.
The Value of Fun
If you have ever enjoyed playing a sport, you know what it feels like to have fun while exercising. Often, people take the fun activities they do for granted when it comes to using them to burn calories. You may want to go for a half-hour jog. But at the same time, you could do something fun, and less vigorous for an hour and get the same calorie-burning benefit. The fascinating thing is that the time spent exercising will go by much faster thanks to the enjoyment you experience. This is exactly how kickboxing helps people burn serious calories. Martial arts present wonderful opportunities to challenge yourself, but simultaneously, as you attain personal goals, you get to feel the rich reward that comes with achievement.
Some people do their best exercising when they are surrounded by, or working with, others. With kickboxing, you can experience this benefit as well, but on your own terms. If you don’t feel like working out with somebody, you can just do your own thing without any pressure. On the other hand, if you have more fun when you are exercising in a cooperative environment, kickboxing is a wonderful resource to help you connect with others who want to get in shape.
It’s a True Workout
The reason why any exercise burns calories is because your body needs to metabolize calories in order to move. Even moving your fingers requires caloric burning. If you’ve ever tried running in place for more than a minute, you know how much energy can be burned—even without moving. With kickboxing, your body is forced to use muscles in new ways. It also has to use some muscles that have been under-used in the past. As these muscles go to work, your body has to either send blood with fuel to help them run or use calories that have been stored inside the muscle tissue. The more work they do, the more calories are burned. Your breathing will increase as well because oxygen is also important in the metabolism process. The cool thing about kickboxing is that if you start to feel tired, you can just take a rest and then pick right back up where you left off.
You Learn New, Helpful Skills
Granted, you will know how to better defend yourself, but that’s only the icing on the cake when it comes to kickboxing. In fact, the same can be said of jiu jitsu, muay thai, bji, or most of the other martial arts. As you dedicate yourself to acquiring a new skillset, your brain is forming new dendrites, becoming a more powerful thinking machine, literally making you into a smarter person. But in addition to athletic intelligence, you are also becoming a more disciplined, and more efficacious, person. You will face some personal challenges in the training process, and even as relatively small challenges are overcome, you become a stronger, more resilient, more powerful person. Kickboxing classes provide a multifaceted, comprehensive learning experience that helps you develop into a more complete individual. If you’re still on the fence about kickboxing, maybe it’s time to give it a shot. You will be glad you did.
