Is Kickboxing Good For Females?

Why Cardio-Kickboxing Is Good For Women

Kickboxing is an exercise that combines cardio with martial arts techniques and usually consists of kicking, punching, shadow-boxing, jump-roping, and more. It is a high-energy workout that can help burn calories and fat. Research shows that performing kickboxing moves alone can be an incredibly efficient workout that can burn around 750 calories an hour. If you add other drills to your kickboxing routine and include jump-roping, you can burn up to 900 calories per hour. But why is cardio-kickboxing especially good for women? Because it can help burn stubborn belly fat.

Belly Fat

It is common for women, as they age, to notice an increase in the fat around their waistline whether or not they are gaining weight. A decrease in estrogen levels is probably the culprit. Belly fat, however, can be dangerous to your health because it includes visceral fat, which surrounds your internal organs and has been linked to the following:

• Problems breathing
• Type 2 diabetes
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Certain types of cancer
• Premature death

Cardio-Kickboxing

According to research, the cardio-conditioning involved in kickboxing exercises is a highly effective way to burn stubborn belly fat. For example, one study published in the American Journal of Physiology found that aerobic exercise reduces belly fat better than resistance training because it burns 67 per cent more calories, on average. Also, while kickboxing, you are engaging every muscle group in your body, including working your back and trimming your waist due to the core power required to execute the moves.

Other Reasons Kickboxing Is Great For Women

There are other reasons kickboxing is good for women, which include:

• Stress release
• Release of aggression
• Improves mental clarity
• Improves sleep
• Tones your body
• Teaches self-defence
• Increases self-confidence

The Amazing Benefits Of Kickboxing For Women

More women are getting into the ring than ever before. Find out what makes kickboxing such an amazing workout.

Melt Fat, Fast

Combining martial arts techniques and heart-pumping cardio, kickboxing is a high-energy workout guaranteed to burn calories and fat.

It’s an incredibly efficient workout. Kickboxing alone burns about 750 calories in an hour. Ontario’s newest women’s-only kickboxing and mixed martial arts program (MMA). Add in jump rope and conditioning drills, and you could burn anywhere from 750 to 900 calories in an hour.

The cardio-conditioning element of kickboxing is one of the most effective ways to burn fat, especially since stubborn belly fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. A study published in the Journal of Physiology found aerobic exercise to be better at reducing belly fat than resistance training by burning an average of 67 per cent more calories.

Tone Your Entire Body

A typical Femme Fitale class combines kickboxing and MMA drills with jump rope, circuit training and core strengthening exercises.

There’s a large toning component to kickboxing because it forces you to engage all the muscle groups in your body.

Using kickboxing pads, as opposed to air boxing, you’ll burn even more calories. You’ll also work your back and trim your waist because each move requires a lot of core power.

Engaging your core will ultimately improve coordination, while the constant movement in kickboxing improves flexibility and reflexes.

Learn Valuable Self-Defense Moves

While most women are turning to kickboxing for the physical workout, the self-defence aspect is a perk for many people. We teach it with an emphasis on why you’re learning this; this is what you would use this for. People need to know why they’re making certain moves and engaging certain parts of their bodies.

Protecting yourself is a valuable asset, and it’s empowering to know that if you are in a dangerous situation, you have the knowledge to help get yourself out of it safely.

Take Out Stress And Aggression

Sometimes the best way to release stress after a hard day at work is not a cold beer but some intense physical activity. Kickboxing offers a healthy way to get some of the day’s frustrations out of your system, which will also help you get a better night’s sleep and improve mental clarity.

It’s an excellent release to be able to beat up your boss on the pads. Boxing also increases the release of endorphins, which can diminish stress.

The group atmosphere of kickboxing is even more effective in releasing endorphins. According to researchers from the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology in Oxford, England, while any vigorous activity will release these feel-good chemicals, group exercise enhances their impact.

Feel Sexy And Confident

There’s nothing sexier than being able to kick some butt and look great doing it. The intensity of kickboxing means you’ll see improvements and results quickly. When you’re putting yourself through a program that does challenge you, and you finish it-that alone boosts confidence dramatically because you’ve accomplished something, and that’s something to be proud of.

Kickboxing Benefits That Will Make You Want To Punch A Bag Right Now

Kickboxing packs more than a one-two punch for your health—it’s more like a 4-6-10 combo. Of course, like most workouts, you'll break a major sweat while you jab, cross, and kick—but the benefits of this form of fitness go well beyond strength and cardio (though those top the list).

It’s A Full-Body Burn

Your arms might do a lot of work as they turn, twist, and extend through each punch, and your legs certainly drive each kick, but it takes your entire body to create force and add power to each movement.

Also, most kickboxing workouts involve total-body warm-up or active recovery intervals, featuring moves like squats, lunges, situps, pushups, or burpees. So you train from head to toe doing those exercises, too.

According to the AFPA, kickboxing for women is a full-body exercise. Kickboxing works out the whole body instead of just target areas. Kickboxing allows women to reduce fat and tone and strengthen their bodies simultaneously. Because kickboxing is a full-body workout, women can also increase their cardiovascular fitness, improve coordination, burn calories and increase their flexibility.

You Can Make It Your Workout

While you get a full-body challenge with every punch and kick, you can also move at your own pace and easily modify when needed. You can also turn it up—pushing your pace and adding more force behind each punch with your hips and lower half—whenever you’re ready to increase the intensity.

It’s Endurance, Speed, And Power Training In One

Kickboxing isn’t just about one type of training. While you get a high-intensity workout from each session—performing at an all-out effort and actively recovering in between those bursts—you’re also moving throughout the entire class, enhancing your endurance.

You Also Build Strength

Hitting or kicking a heavy bag requires some serious strength. You need tough muscles to conquer this hardcore workout, and that stands true for every muscle group—including your shoulders, arms, back, abs, legs, and butt.

Your Brain Gets A Workout As Well

"It’s all about what’s happening behind your eyes and between your ears."

While doing kickboxing, your brain learns to act quick as it responds to punches, masters sharp reflexes and memorizes combos. “It’s all about what’s happening behind your eyes and between your ears. “The stronger you are on the inside, the better you’ll be able to perform on the outside.”

You Can Do It Anywhere

Sure, it’s helpful to have a big bag to punch, but it’s unnecessary. NEO U ($8/month) and Title Boxing ($25/month) offer streaming workouts, and you don’t need anything but your own body to follow along.

If you're all about that bag and don't have access to a studio, you can create your kickboxing gym at home with products like FightCamp—which includes a bag, gloves, wraps, punch trackers, and a workout mat. (Note: FightCamp also requires you to register for their monthly class subscription, which offers on-demand boxing workouts.) Maybe make sure you have enough space that you don’t punch or kick the wall or another human.

It’s A Major Stress Reliever

Brooke Budke, vice president of marketing for Title, says they have a prompt in classes for people to write down what they’re fighting for that day. And more often than not, it’s for their mental health. “There’s a physical element of fighting back against things that weigh you down in life. When the company also questions their clients about why they stick with kickboxing, one-third of members say it’s stress relief.

Imagine that you are having a stressful day: you got stuck in a big traffic jam, everything at work is going wrong, somebody said something that made you mad, all kinds of stress are building up, but now it’s time for you to do your workout. Kickboxing is among the best stress reducers of all. In general, your stress is reduced when you work out, but when you can hit things in a safe and fun environment, this effect is substantially increased.

Kickboxing may also be used as a kind of stress relief. Stress produces enzymes that decrease endorphins. When kickboxing or engaging in another kind of exercise, the AFPA reports that endorphins get released within the body, helping to decrease depression and relieve pain.

Self Defense

According to the AFPA, kickboxing for women may be an effective self-defence method. The instructor during kickboxing classes focuses on teaching punches, kicks, weaving, bobbing and knee-ups. Students also learn how to land kicks and punches and gauge distance. Most punches are practised on bags to help the student learn how to land their moves on a specific object. The punches, knee-ups, kicks, weaving and bobbing all may be used as self-defence if necessary.

Training Within A Team Environment

It is common to feel scared and intimidated. Starting something new can be intimidating. In this situation, what can be helpful is to select a school that is very aware of that and emphasizes a team environment and ensures that having fun and safety are top priorities.

Aerobic Effects

Once you have finished a class, you’ll notice muscles you didn’t even know you had. All major muscle groups get used, and therefore, the oxygen requirements for the body are increased along with the increased rate, which results ultimately in improved cardiovascular conditioning. Participating in kickboxing will improve your coordination, burn calories, increase flexibility, reduce fat, tone your muscles and increase your overall strength.

Mental Empowerment

Above and beyond all of the incredible physical benefits that kickboxing provides, it offers many mental benefits also. Fayetteville kickboxing for women is very empowering. Getting started with a kickboxing class will provide you with confidence and courage. Once you start to learn the techniques think of all of the courage and inner strength, you will feel.

Conclusion

So, is kickboxing good for females? Yes! There are many benefits of kickboxing for women that go beyond just losing weight or getting in shape. From improving mental health to boosting self-confidence, there are plenty of reasons why every woman should try cardio-kickboxing at least once. If you’re not sure where to start, reach out to your local martial arts studio and see if they offer beginner classes. You won’t regret giving this amazing workout a try!