Kickboxing aerobics combine the encouragement of group fitness with the rigorousness of kickboxing training. Participants in a kickboxing aerobics perform boxing and kickboxing moves to the beat of energetic techno music. Normally scheduled for 45 minutes to an hour, kickboxing aerobics is a high-impact workout that build muscle tone and cardiovascular endurance.
Basics
Kickboxing aerobics moves and patterns draw from the moves used in a kickboxing match and from exercises kickboxers use for conditioning, says fitness kickboxing instructor William Pleasant. Signature moves include front kicks, rising knees, wheel or roundhouse kicks, punches, punching combinations, footwork drills, bobbing and weaving. Most classes do this to a soundtrack of high beats-per-minute techno or dance music, in order to push participants to keep up an aggressive pace.
History
The first nationalized fitness kickboxing program was TaeBo, introduced by Tae Kwon Do champion Billy Blanks. According to the TaeBo website, Blanks offered his classes first in 1982, with the classes gradually growing in popularity. During the 1990s, similar programs borrowed from the same basic idea. By 2000, fitness kickboxing had become a staple of group fitness offerings at health clubs nationwide.
Variations
Kickboxing aerobics can also be found under the names TaeBo, cardio kickboxing, fitboxing and fitness kickboxing. Since the early 2000s, similar programs have come on to the scene, offering other group fitness aerobics based on different martial arts. Two examples are Zumba and capoiera. Zumba draws from fitness kickboxing and Latin dance, while capoeira is a rigorous fighting dance art from Brazil.
Benefits
Kickboxing aerobics will burn from 300 to 600 calories per hour, based on your body type and aggressiveness during your workout. This level of sustained aerobic exercise will also improve your lung capacity, lower resting heart rate and improve your level of cardiovascular endurance and health. The signature moves of kickboxing aerobics will also sculpt and tone your entire body. Kickboxing aerobics are not appropriate for heavy strength training or self-defense.
Cautions
Kickboxing aerobics is a high-impact workout with a calorie burn on par with speed swimming and cross-country skiing. If you get dizzy or feel you can't breathe during a workout, slow down or stop to rest. Like any exercise routine, get the advice of your doctor or health professional before beginning.
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