5 reasons why kickboxing is a win-win sport for women

Kickboxing originated in Thailand 2000 years ago. Called the ‘science of eight limbs,’ this ancient style of fighting employs punches, kicks, elbows, and knees through eight points of contact in a hand-to-hand combat. Today, kickboxing studios engage all these limbs and more to help women reach their fitness goals across the globe. Here’s how:

1. Engaging in a full body workout

Kickboxing uses a heady concoction of powerful punches and dynamic kicks against a punching bag that can weigh up to 80 lbs. In good kickboxing classes, women are not just trained to hit the bag—but hit the bag hard. Cardiovascular kickboxing combines martial arts with heart-pumping intervals of jump ropes, push-ups, squats, jump squats, lunges, and planks—allowing women to get a full body workout.

According to the American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA), the body needs a healthy balance of aerobic and anaerobic exercises to get ideal results. Combining activities like running or cycling with weight lifting helps shed fat fast and build muscle. Kickboxing offers the benefits of both worlds—allowing women to burn fat and tone up—especially in stubborn reaches of the body like the abdomen and butt.

Kickboxing 2 to 3 times a week helps develop a strong core, allowing the individual to pivot her body in different directions as she launches her attack against the weight of the punching bag. When a fighter uses a jab, hook, or uppercut her upper body gets a focused workout. The after-effect is strong and muscular arms. When the fighter uses push kicks or roundhouse kicks the lower body starts shaping up.

If the dominant side of the fighter is right, landing the left roundhouse kick accurately is difficult at first. This holds true for many kickboxing movements. But, as the fighter’s technique improves, she learns to hit the bag with greater surety and impact. Learning to balance the body, angling it in different directions, and using a combination of kicks and punches in continuity—allows women to develop sharper reflexes and motor-skills.

2. Burning more in less time

Kickboxing classes pack a variety of moves within an hour of training. With regular kickboxing, women can achieve greater flexibility, endurance, blood circulation, and toning.  When it comes to women, weight loss is the most desired result. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), a 135 lbs person can easily burn 350 to 450 calories during a 50-minute kickboxing session.

Often caught in a balancing act between work, home, or kids—women tend to ignore their own fitness goals. Kickboxing 3-times a week for sessions that last for an hour long and guarantee results encourage women to stick to this routine.

With group classes, women can leave all the thinking and planning to their coach. A one-hour kickboxing session is also way more effective when it comes to burning fat, compared to exercising in the gym for 2-hours and focusing entirely on one part of the body.

3. Learning self-defense along the way

Kickboxing is at its core martial arts—a sport that was developed not for the purpose of entering a fight but learning to defend oneself. However, when women sign up for a kickboxing class, they learn to fight a punching bag than an opponent.

Some instructors use techniques of true kickboxing to remind women that the punches and kicks they throw at a bag can also be used against an assailant. They encourage one-on-one sparring, allowing women to understand technical aspects of evading and distancing in a real fight. Women can also imagine the punching bag to be an attacker to get better at their fighting stance.

Many kickboxing classes—use a combination of planks, mountain climbers, and pushups between kicking and boxing rounds—to help women develop a fighting spirit. Pushing women outside their comfort zone helps women build confidence and resilience.

4. Kicking stress out of the body

When fighting against a punching bag—women can imagine the bag to be anything in the world—a dominating boss in the workplace, an uncomfortable situation they’re trying to avoid, daily frustrations of life, or the glass ceiling.

Getting some down time with the bag and punching it hard can help relieve some of the stress and anger that’s brewing inside. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), seven out of 10 adults in the U.S. say they undergo stress or anxiety on a daily basis that interferes with their lives.

When the mind goes through stress it affects the working of the body, which it controls through the nervous system. Working out the body, can help ease the mind through the same channel. Studies by the American Psychological Association (APA) indicate that while women do a better job managing stress by talking about their emotions—exercising the body has its own unique benefits.

According to ADAA, aerobic exercise helps release endorphins, which are natural painkillers in the brain. These help aid sleep, which triggers a decrease in stress levels, and fight diseases like depression. An aerobic exercise like kickboxing ensures a healthy release of these pain busters in the body that aid in stabilizing the mood and boosting self-esteem.

5. Teamwork is empowering

Kickboxing makes for a great group exercise. It’s a great way for women to focus on their individual health goals while sharing a can-do attitude with other women. Young or old—watching women across age groups hit the bag hard can positively motivate anyone lagging behind to try harder.

Images of photoshopped perfection in media and a patriarchal mindset in society can often force women to compete against each other. Working out in a group, helping each other do sit ups, or simply smiling at one another while involved in a group activity is a great way for women to bond.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) points out that group exercise sessions offer a fun way for people to engage in a social environment, be more disciplined with their own exercise regime, and find a safe and effectively designed workout that can match different levels of fitness.

The loud, energetic music of many kickboxing studios is another reason why many find kickboxing addictive. Music helps create a fun environment in the studio insulated from distractions outside. Just like dance, some women enjoy punching the bag with the beat of the song they are listening to. Of course they flush out whatever’s weighing them down in the process.