We chatted with two fitness experts to answer the question: Is kickboxing strength training or cardio? Here's what they had to say.
ou might know kickboxing as a bouncy bodyweight aerobics offering at your local YMCA, an intimidating studio class that involves boxing gloves and heavy bags, or even as the competitive full-contact combat sport of, an ACE-certified personal trainer and NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. “One style, the combat sport, is designed for fighting, while cardio kickboxing removes the fight aspect and mainly focuses on enhancing your health by improving your fitness.
Translation: When you challenge your body through exercise, you prompt it to adapt and become stronger. If you’re a beginner, things like punching and kicking will challenge your strength, but for someone more experienced, those won’t be demanding enough to provoke adaptations. “For those new to the kickboxing world or new to exercise in general, muscular changes in strength and power may be more notable than those of an experienced athlete or Muay Thai fighter,” Bellman explains.
“Ultimately, the goal of physical exercise is to improve your health and fitness while doing something you enjoy. If you enjoy kickboxing exercise, you're more likely to do it, and that's most important.” —Grace Bellman, DPT, CSCSIn many cases, yes. “Kickboxing does count as cardio by the simple definition that it elevates your heart rate and breathing,” Bellman says.
That said, a kickboxing workout’s actual cardio level can depend on the class's structure, style, and intensity, Bellman says. The research on the sport’s fitness benefits is limited, but studies on the cardio effect of other martial arts like Taekwondo have reported mixed results; some research says TaekwondoThink of it this way: If you’re drilling punches slowly, focusing on form and your feet planted, you likely won’t lose your breath and end up in that moderate-intensity state.
Finally, kickboxing comes with an emotional health benefit that not all other forms of exercise can claim: an incredible sense of empowerment. “After working at Hit House for two years, I’ve heard from many regular class attendees that they feel an increase in confidence and often surprise themselves with what they’re able to do during class,” Bellman says. This boost in self-confidence, ability to have fun, and desire to consistently advance keeps them coming back.
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