'Kick' your fitness routine up a notch with kickboxing

Not many people know this about me, but I’m a black belt. Yep, you can be a little impressed; it was a lot of hard work. With the exception of breaking a guy’s arm (another story for another day), I have been lucky enough that I haven’t had to use my skills to fend off an attacker. However, there are certain moves that ALL OF YOU should know. Try and incorporate them into your fitness routine. All it takes is a few extra minutes on the punching bag.

 

According to an article in Fitness Magazine, kickboxing burns an average of 500 calories an hour (some estimates reach 810). The exercises effectively target your arms, shoulders, abs, thighs and butt all in one workout (talk about killing a few birds with one stone!) In addition, kickboxing serves as a fantastic form of stress release (how often do you get to pretend you’re beating up your archenemy - or at some times, your significant other?!? hehe!). I know I always feel better after getting out some of my built up stress and aggression. Who needs yoga when you've got a punching bag and an active imagination?!

 

But first, we need to make sure you know the moves and are using the correct form. Review the following list of moves from Fitness Magazine to make sure you are performing the correctly. Start with the jab and work your way down the list.

Once you feel ready for it, put on some rockin’ tunes and jam jab out to the following routine:

 

4 Jabs in the front, uppercut (left side)

Jab, cross, hook, uppercut (2x) (left side)

4 Jabs in the front, uppercut (right side)

50 Front kicks (alternate legs)

30 round house kicks (alternate legs)

25 side kicks (alternate legs)

Combination (left foot forward): Jab (L), uppercut (R), front kick (L) (repeat 10 times)

Combination (right foot forward): Jab (R), uppercut (L), front kick (R) (repeat 10 times)

Double-time jabs (speed up) (20x right side)

Double-time jabs (speed up) (20x left side)

Combination (left foot forward): Jab (L), uppercut (R), roundhouse kick (L) (repeat 10 times)

Combination (right foot forward): Jab (R), uppercut (L), roundhouse kick (R) (repeat 10 times)

 

Once you learn the moves, feel free to get creative with your own routine, too!

Enjoy!

 

What is your favorite kick-boxing move? I'm all about the roundhouse kick -- makes me feel strong and powerful!

 

Shannon is the founder and creator of The Daily Balance, a Web site updated daily with advice, tips and personal stories to help others find balance in their lives. From food to fashion, fitness, inspiration and recipes, The Daily Balance is the perfect tool for those who "want it all."

[photo credit: Getty Images]