Kickboxing for Cardio....?

[Sophos9]

Hey all,

I'm looking to do something fun for cardio, no matter how much I try I cannot sit on a bike or treadmill for any length of time without getting so bored I got to stop

I would like to take up kickboxing, does anyone know how beneficial this sport is as a cardio exercise?

Ta...

[Sophos9]

Soz, mods can you please move this to general fitness... :

[sooner_ed]

Whether or not something is beneficial for cardio depends on their level of fitness and the intensity of the exercise.

Generally speaking, yes, kickboxing for cardio is beneficial. You can kickbox at either a low intensity or a high intensity.

What I would personally ask myself is if I want to kickbox. Sounds like you do. Since you hate the bike and treadmill (hence, you are not sticking with those two options), find something you like (kickboxing) and you'll be more likely to stick with it.

Fitness has to be fun, not just necessary.

[Sophos9]

Dude, thats exactly the problem, I get so bored of the gym cardio.... Spot on that if I find something fun and that I enjoy then I will carry on doing it!

[estock66]

Have you had a look at what the class has to offer and its members? i looked into one at my local gym and it was mostly moms randomly throwing sloppy punches and kicks so I bailed. The second gym i went to trained mma fighters and i had a very brutal (and benefitial) experience.

[.V.]

Yes, it's good cardio. But remember you will get out of it only what you put into it. If you take it easy, it's no better than a leisurly stroll. If you bust your ass in there, it will take you to new levels of fitness.

When I was taking karate as a youth, before moving on to other MA systems, people would always come to the dojo saying they just wanted to "get into shape". They would be turned away and told to come back when they wanted to learn karate. There are simply much easier ways to get in shape. However, if you want to kickbox, do karate, learn kung fu, ju jitsu, or any other dicipline, it will do you wonders of good and give fitness a whole new meaning, getting a good cardio workout will just be a minor benefit (well, cardo the benefits aren't that minor but compared to what else you will get from it...they pale in comparison) that comes from it.

[urmaniac13]

I do similar exercise, called fitboxe or shoot exercise here, a session during which you punch and kick a standing, weighted sack to the beats of music.
It is great fun, you can vary and try different combinations so it is never boring. It also develop your strength in a different way from weight lifting, improves your agility, just as well as cardiovascular conditioning. However I suggest you start with a good trainer and learn proper punching/kicking technique, it is trickier than it seems and if you don't do it correctly, it will be not only much less effetive, but also you will be risking injuries.

[Sophos9]

Thanks for posting that. I used to do some shotokan karate when I was younger (and less prone to fat storage), I've looked into some local clubs and beleive I have found a good one with the right atrributes that I'm looking for....

Hi Sophos9,

Some of the best shotokan karate I have seen (on video) is from the UK. If you have an opportunity to train with a dojo that comes from Enoeda Sensei's lineage, go for it.

I believe traditional MA training has all the elements of high quality cardio training, particularly when you are surrounded by young and highly-motivated karateka.

[Sophos9]

Hey pierini.... Your avatar is good (not being gay)

A KUGB club is too far away from me (some 90miles), will join a local dojo then when the time is right, start competing again!