Combat Sports are on the rise, but what are the benefits, and why should women try kickboxing?
What is Kickboxing?
Kickboxing is a type of martial art and one of the most popular combat sports. The sport combines punching with other striking techniques, such as kicking. The martial art dates back many centuries, with the earliest records of competitive kickboxing dating back to around the 16th century. The stand-up fighting style is practiced for fitness, competitive, and recreational purposes for all genders and ages.
Whilst kickboxing can appear intimidating, the workout is perfect for women wanting to improve and challenge their body and mind. The sport also gives women the skills and knowledge to become more independent. From relieving stress to workout benefits, it seems like this martial art carries many advantages that motivate women to make positive lifestyle changes.
Physical Benefits
There is no doubt that any sport is beneficial for your physical health. Kickboxing is great for those wanting more flexibility, strength, and cardio. You get a full-body challenge with every kick and punch!
Kickboxing is an all-body workout that gets the heart pumping, lowering blood pressure and heart rate. Ultimately, this reduces a lot of health risks: “There have been many cases where people were able to get off of their blood pressure medication after remaining dedicated to their training,” according to Gymdesk. In addition, this workout offers benefits to the person’s stamina through breath control. The exercise helps strengthen muscles needed for an enhanced metabolism with different training methods.
The training incorporates differing workouts such as circuit training, core exercises, and jump rope. X3sports.com states: “A typical kickboxing class for women will include kickboxing fundamentals and bag work alongside more traditional strength and conditioning drills.” A study on ‘The effects of five weeks of kickboxing training on physical fitness,’ conducted in 2014, concluded that kickboxers showed significant improvement in “upper-body muscle power, aerobic power, anaerobic fitness, speed, and agility after training,” as well as flexibility.
So, what muscles does kickboxing target? The sport is a hardcore workout that targets your glutes, shoulders, arms, abs, legs, and back, toning you up quickly! Furthermore, regular exercise is beneficial for women’s reproductive health.
Excerciseright.com states: “Being active and living a healthy lifestyle helps to manage your weight, and those who are a healthy weight have less difficulty conceiving.” There is also strong evidence that being active as a woman reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Exercise plays a significant role in our hormones and how our immune system functions. Breast Cancer UK recommends “300 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly.”
Mental Benefits
Kickboxing offers a surprising life hack for those who struggle with anxiety. Trainers will encourage and teach students how to remain calm and in control of their breathing, which can be implemented into everyday life. Moreover, the sport encourages mind and body connection, which is beneficial to understanding and appreciating your body more, especially with social media proving detrimental to women’s body image and confidence.
Furthermore, the workout releases ‘feel-good’ endorphins that improve your sense of well-being and boost self-esteem. The decrease in stress and anxiety from this sport leads to an overall increase in self-confidence. This martial art is perfect for shifting focus from everyday stresses and can prove a positive outlet for those struggling with mental health.
Stress has been linked to multiple issues that can lead to depression and health problems. “Stress lowers a person’s overall quality of life and makes it much more difficult to enjoy things that they normally would,” states Gymdesk. Punching the bag or sparring is the perfect way to project your frustrations in an uplifting environment.
Eliminating stress allows your brain to focus properly for longer periods, which has a knock-on effect on everyday life, such as work and daily activities. The reduction of stress also leads to a greater quality of sleep, which is vital for mental and physical health. According to Bupa UK, the benefits of improving your sleep include keeping your heart healthy, keeping your immune system strong, and maintaining a healthy body weight. In addition to the elimination of stress, exercise has been proven to be more beneficial for women than men.
A study conducted by Nicola Davis, science correspondent for The Guardian UK, concludes that women benefit more than men from doing the same amount of regular exercise. The team conducting the study discovered that “140 minutes of moderate exercise a week reduced women’s risk of premature death from any cause by 18% compared with being inactive. By contrast, men needed 300 minutes of such exercise a week for a similar gain.”
The sport encourages self-discipline, which proves beneficial to everyday life once you start taking this martial art seriously. This can improve eating and exercise habits, which all contribute to your mental health. Kickboxing trainer Merritt says: “The biggest thing we hear is that people feel empowered – they consider kickboxing their therapy.” The empowerment of taking control and feeling strong as a woman is not something to mess with!
Self-Defense
Unfortunately, the world is not a friendly place, especially for women. Martial arts offers a safe space that can teach women the right techniques to defend themselves.
Additionally, the sport trains people to be more aware of their surroundings, which is a key skill to improving everyday safety. The awareness is enhanced by teaching coordination skills, learning how the body functions, and building up more complex movements as the training continues.
Proceeding with the training learnt in these classes, kickboxing keeps the person’s reflexes and spatial awareness sharp through muscle memory. Moreover, learning how to react to physical threats is empowering and gives women the skill set and confidence to be more independent.
Give it a Try!
In conclusion, kickboxing is an empowering sport that offers numerous physical, mental, and self-defense benefits for women. It enhances overall health by improving cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and reproductive health. Mentally, it reduces stress, boosts self-esteem, and helps manage anxiety, all of which contribute to a better quality of life and improved sleep.
Furthermore, the self-defense skills gained from kickboxing can increase confidence and independence, making women feel safer in their daily lives. Ultimately, kickboxing is not just a workout but a holistic approach to well-being that every woman should consider trying. So why not give it a shot? It’s fun, effective, and could be a life-changing experience!
