Benefits of Kickboxing for Women

If you're searching for a workout to strengthen and tone your legs and glutes, check out a kickboxing class. Additional benefits include improvements in flexibility, coordination, balance and stability. That's not all: "If you're seeking better health, more confidence, and a stronger body, a kickboxing or martial arts-inspired workout might be just the thing to get you into fighting trim," according to WebMD.com.

  1. Physical Benefits

    • A 1999 American Council on Exercise (ACE) study by Dr. Len Kravitz and a team of researchers at the University of Mississippi found that cardio kickboxing "provides a workout sufficient enough to improve and maintain cardiovascular fitness." The study showed an average calorie burn of 350 to 450 per hour (among 15 women weighing an average of 135 pounds), equivalent to an hour of light jogging or brisk walking. Researchers also observed physical benefits such as "increased strength and flexibility, as well as improved coordination and sharper reflexes."

    Psychological Benefits

    • Women stand to benefit from kickboxing psychologically as well as physically. Exercise physiologist and personal trainer Fabio Comana says on WebMD.com, "There is a self-efficacy that it gives a person. They learn some real self-defense skills they can use in everyday life."

      Kicking and punching work to relieve stress in your body and mind. "I've never met anybody who didn't feel the release in stress and the release in anger," says martial arts instructor Addy Hernandez on WebMD.com.

    Social Benefits

    • The popularity of women's kickboxing classes leads to large groups of women exercising together. In a kickboxing class, you're likely to meet other women with similar goals of achieving health and strength, building confidence and having fun.