One of the biggest fitness workouts for women in the past few years is cardio kickboxing. Fitness and martial arts facilities throughout North America have experienced a significant number of women signing up for these classes. A lot of it can be credited to Billy Blanks and the Tae Bo phenomenon. There are many benefits for women to incorporate cardio kickboxing into their exercise schedule. For many, cardio kickboxing has helped many women lose weight where other programs have failed.
Weight loss for women does not mean they have to stick with the usual mundane exercises such as running on a treadmill. Fitness for women does not have to be the same old boring exercise routine. It's okay for women to bring out the "tiger" in them once in a while. Traditionally women have been taught to be gentle and non-aggressive. This explains the under representation of women in most martial arts schools. While kickboxing is a mainly male dominated sport we are seeing more and more women getting into it as a means to relive stress and lose weight.
First you must find a fitness facility or martial arts school near your area. Some places even have classes in kickboxing and fitness for women only. Once you enroll you should set your mind on a goal in order to maximize your results from the class.
Here are 7 cardio kickboxing tips to help weight loss for women:
1). Take your warm-up seriously. If your instructor wants you to do 100 crunches then try your best to reach that benchmark. If you are unable to reach that that number then that is okay. The great thing about cardio kickboxing is you can stop to take a breather anytime without falling behind the class. However just sitting there and watching the rest of the class because you're lazy is wasting your time. Remember you paid for the class so you mine as well put in the work while you are there.
2). It's important to have fun but make sure you put in the right effort and intensity. Your instructor usually sets the timer for 2 or 3 minute rounds. So make sure you don't play patty cake with the punching bag. Your punches and kicks should be done with full power and intensity to get your heart rate up.
3). Make sure you breathe properly during training. Exhale when you throw your punch or kick, and inhale when you retract your arm or leg. Doing this properly supplies more oxygen to the lungs enabling you to workout more efficiently and longer.
4). When kicking try to kick as high as your flexibility allows. High kicks require more energy to perform then low kicks. As a result you will burn more calories.
5). When working with a partner during drills remember to encourage one another. This is really important especially when you are near the end of the round and fatigue starts to set in. Having your partner encourage you can help push you to get those extra punches or kicks in before the round ends.
6). When purchasing boxing gloves try going with a heavier glove such as a 16oz. The extra weight will fatigue you shoulders quicker then a 10 oz. glove.
7). Try to keep your hands up at all times when you punch and never loop or drop them below your chin. Your punches should go straight out and back to your face. By keeping your hands up you will work and sculpt your shoulders and burn more calories as opposed to dropping your hands to your waist.
So there you have it! Incorporate some cardio kickboxing into your day if you are bored with your regular gym routine or exercise regiment. Kickboxing is one of the most enjoyable workouts you can do and is known to burn the most calories in a hour. It is fun and great for weight loss. For women it can also be a great outlet to let out your frustrations from a stressful day.
