I have so many things on my bucket list and some are more attainable than others. Fortunately, kickboxing is something that was very much in my reach. At my local gym I had noticed a group in the corner of the weights area with boxing gloves, punching and kicking bags, and doing some things I had seen on The Biggest Loser. I have REALLY REALLY wanted to try kickboxing forever, but it was one of those things where you keep putting it off for no particular reason.
One day I noticed that they had reduced the price of the class in HALF (at my gym you have to pay an additional fee to participate in kickboxing and you have to purchase your hand wraps and gloves) and I decided that I needed to step out of my comfort zone and go for it. A lot of my hesitation was joining a new group, being with people I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure how I would like it.
After about a month I am happy to report that I am having a lot of fun! At my gym we have a lot of options in terms of when we can attend the class which is a great perk. There are at least 5 potential times that you could take the class in any given week and you do not have to commit to that time in advance. I think this is probably unique and different from a lot of gyms, but a great feature. So what are the pro’s and con’s of this type of workout?
Pro’s
- Fun and different: If you are a runner or slave to cardio equipment this type of workout will challenge you in different ways
- Burns MAJOR calories: I wear a heart-rate monitor and I burn about 800 calories/hour. Spark People estimates that 150 lb woman burns about 687 calories/hour.
- Allows you to release frustrations by striking something: Most of us (including myself!) could benefit by having something to hit and let out our frustrations. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association (SGMA) boxing and kickboxing have become the preferred methods to release frustrations and alleviate anger among exercise participants.
Con’s
- Additional Costs: Most gyms in my area require that you pay an additional fee to participate in the class that I am describing where you have gloves, bags, etc. If you are already paying a decent gym membership this might be a deterrent in joining such a class.
- Equipment: For most kickboxing classes you have to purchase a set of hand wraps and boxing gloves. At my gym we were able to come to an intro class and borrow equipment the first time around, but you do need your own equipment. Hand wraps are about $5-10 and gloves are about $30 or more.
- Boxing gloves
- Hand Wraps
Kickboxing is definitely something worth giving a try if you are looking to shake things up! Have you tried kickboxing before? Are you currently participating in a kickboxing class?
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