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Madison Fairchild

Mrs. DeBock

English IV

6 April, 2017

The Effects of Kickboxing

Kickboxing is an exciting new way for people to become more active. In recent years,

many people have started to participate in kickboxing classes. The reason for this is because it

can provide a new sense of empowerment, and it can help relieve stress. Kickboxing is a type of

workout that combines cardio and strength training. For people suffering with unresolved anger,

it is a healthy way to confront his or her issues. It is available for people of all ages and genders.

Kickboxing is an effective workout that has grown in popularity because it is available to

everyone, reduces stress, and strengthens the body.

For a long time throughout history, women were never seen as fighters. However, times

are changing and women are finding that punches are a great problem solver. Kickboxing is a

safe and fun way for women to begin relieving this tension. In a kickboxing class, participants

are instructed to do different sequences of punches, kicks, weightlifting, and running. Several

variations to the exercises can be modified suit a persons individual characteristics. These

adaptations can be made to make the workout harder, easier, or to use different parts of the body

because of an injury or other issue. Because kickboxing is open to everyone, it has become

popular to women in particular, because it is a new and fun form of exercise that most women

had never participated in. Many women in countries such as Oman are now realizing that

kickboxing is an awesome workout. In an interview conducted by Jessica Hern, Rima says that
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she never imagined that she would love kickboxing so much, and that it has allowed her to

know her body and mind better and has been an excellent way to sculpt a healthy strong body

and spirit (Hern 1). This shows that although to some women the thought of kicking and

punching sounds too masculine, it is an activity that is almost addictive. Women in particular

generally second guess this idea. It seems out of place for a woman to kickbox, however times

have changed and women are able to do much more in todays society. In another interview, a

woman says that she only started the class to support her friend, however she fell in love with it

and has hardly missed any classes since she began (Hern 2). The more that women are

experimenting with kickboxing, the more that they are enjoying it. Kickboxing is a great exercise

for women that can empower them and take away feelings of weakness.

Kickboxing has also proven to be a great stress reliever. Many people that have stressful

jobs have began to take part in kickboxing, and the majority of those individuals have noticed a

change in the amount of stress in his or her life. Jennifer Roberts says that when she has had a

stressful day at work, she will punch and kick a punching bag and that it really helps her clear

her mind during the workday (Crouch 65). This shows that many people are able to relieve

tension by punching out their anger. This can relieve stress because it take the focus away from

whatever the problem is, and allows the negative energy to be transferred from the brain to the

punching bag. Daryn Eller did a study which shows that participating in activities that need

concentration are able to distract a person from the problems going on in his or her mind (Eller

121). This is important in kickboxing because the class requires an enormous amount of thought

and focus. A class generally involves punching or kicking a bag, jumping rope, and even

sparring with a partner. Focus is needed so that the target can be hit, and to avoid getting hit.
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This focus turns the athletes attention away from what is stressing them out in the real world. In

addition to relieving stress, kickboxing can reduce anger. This is important because if an

individual lets an unnecessary amount of anger build up inside himself, then it could lead to a

dangerous and unexpected explosion of emotion. Science has proved that cardio exercise for

long periods of time that do not require much though are able to help a person zone out and

temporarily forget about the issues he or she is dealing with (Eller 122). This can be done during

laps or jumping rope that takes place during many kickboxing classes. Another way that

kickboxing helps to get rid of feelings of anger is that punching and kicking a bag can be

transferred into punching an individuals problems. Visualizing a problem as a target on a bag is

a way that anger can be released through kickboxing. Kickboxing is an exercise that has a

surprisingly large impact on the brain.

Not only does kickboxing help strengthen a person mentally, it also provides a great

workout for the body that strengthens the muscles, burns fat, increases balance and flexibility, as

well as many other physical benefits. Because kickboxing combines cardio and strength, it is

able to target the entire body. Baqir Haidar studied the effects of kickboxing on the human body

and says that the amount of blood flow that occurs during a workout helps increase alertness in

an individual (Haidar 2). A person that does kickboxing has to be extremely alert at all times, or

else they will not be able to block an incoming punch. The workout increases an individuals

heart rate, which causes more blood to flow throughout the body. This, in turn, helps a person to

become more aware of his or her surroundings, not only during the workout, but also in everyday

life as well. Haidar also states that a single one hour kickboxing class can result in the burning of

500-1,000 calories (Haidar 2). That is an enormous amount when compared to the calories
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burned from an hour of other activities. For example an hour of hiking, walking, slow biking, or

stretching all burn less than 400 calories (Mavis 1). This shows that kickboxing is able to target

and use more energy than other forms of exercise, making it one of the most effective

fat-burning workouts of our time. Not only does kickboxing burn calories and strengthen an

individuals body, but it also improves flexibility. For an individual to participate in the kicks

that are done during a class, he needs a strong core, legs, and a minimum flexibility range. Most

people are not flexible, so the more time that is put into kickboxing, the more likely an individual

is to become more flexible. Of the numerous advantages to kickboxing, one of the most

surprising is that it will increase your natural life span. Karen Asp researched the effects of

exercise on an individuals telomeres (the end cap of a chromosome that causes aging) and

discovered that common exercise can slow these from shortening, which would slow down aging

(Asp 67). This benefit is probably the most important, because it shows that kickboxing can

increase life span. The benefits of kickboxing on the body are almost too numerous to be

numbered, and should be considered by everyone interested in the activity.

Kickboxing is a newly popular and exciting way for people to exercise. The majority of

people who try it fall in love with it, and stick to it for a long time. Kickboxing is available to

anyone willing to try it. The advantages of taking a kickboxing class are undeniable. It is fun and

effective, and thats why many people like it. An individual that participates in kickboxing, is

likely to see changes within their self confidence, strength, flexibility, and have lower stress

levels.
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Works Cited

Asp, Karen. "Secret Perks of Every Workout." N.p., Jan. 2017. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.

Crouch, Michelle, and Michael Byers. "Secrets of People with Highly Stressful Jobs." N.p., Feb.

2017. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.

Eller, Daryn. "Work Out Your Issues:." N.p., Sept. 2004. Web. 6 Apr. 2017.

Haidar, Baqir. "Fitness: Kickboxing for Wholesome Fitness." Business Today, Nov. 2016. Web.

24 Mar. 2017

Hern, Jessica. "Fitness: Pick Up the Gloves Ladies." N.p., Dec. 2016. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.

Mavis. "How Many Calories Does Physical Activity Use (burn)?" Choose MyPlate. N.p., 22 July

2015. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.