Kickboxing – What You Need to Know

Regardless of whether you are looking to boost your confidence, become more flexible, gain more strength, or just want to have an intense cardio workout, kickboxing is definitely one exercise to consider. One of the reasons why people often come back to kickboxing after trying it out for the first time is how flexible it can be depending on their level of fitness. What’s more, there are different types of kickboxing classes to choose from such as for self-defense, cardio conditioning, competitive sports, and even martial arts.

Kickboxing for Beginners

For those who are considering trying kickboxing for the first time, here are a few things you need to take into consideration.

1. Know your personal goals. What goals do you want to achieve when trying out kickboxing? Are you interested in just building your cardiovascular health? Do you want to join a kickboxing competition? Or do you want to learn self-defense? Figuring out what you want to do before stepping into the gym for kickboxing training can help you determine what class to take.
2. Be honest about yourself. If you’re not sure about your fitness level, the best place to start is at your doctor’s especially when you are suffering from any chronic condition like obesity or asthma. Keep in mind that kickboxing is an intense workout that will make you move your body in ways that you are not used to. It’s important that you remain honest with yourself so your instructor can guide you every step of the way.
3. Fuel right. If you want to get the most out of your kickboxing training, you should get enough fuel in your body. Experts recommend that you go for carbohydrates like brown rice, beans, and even sweet potato for lunch, then add some carbohydrates that are fast-absorbing like juice or fruit at least 30 minutes to an hour before you train and you will have the necessary fuel for this intense training. Don’t forget that you need to stay hydrated when you’re working out so make sure you have your water with you.
4. Choose the right class and instructor. Based on what your goals are, you need to choose a kickboxing class that fits perfectly with your goals. It’s also important that you find the right instructor so start talking to a few so you can get an idea on how they train their students. Most of the time, kickboxing instructors were once professional fighters or have been certified to teach the sport.
5. Gear up. Aside from choosing a gym where you’re going to work out, you also need to determine whether you need to buy kickboxing gear or not. There are some gyms that would require their students to buy their own boxing gloves, ankle supports, and even their headgear but this is too far in between. Go for clothing that allows you to move freely as you go through the motions of kickboxing. Don’t forget to bring your towel with you because you will definitely be sweating a lot.

There is no doubt that kickboxing will give your entire body the intense workout it needs to burn calories but it’s always important to know what goal you want to achieve when you kickbox to ensure that you are getting the right kind of training.