Have you ever considered kickboxing as a way to improve your overall health and fitness?  It is a great choice.  There are so many benefits to both your physical and mental health.  We know it can be tough to commit to something new.  That is why we put together this list of 10 reasons you should use kickboxing as means to improve your overall wellbeing.

1. Increased Confidence
   1. Practicing, improving, and succeeding at a skill improves self-image and gives participants confidence that they can succeed in other areas and ventures.
2. Full body workout
   1. If you are looking for a new form of exercise, then kickboxing is your answer.  The consistent practice has shown to increase overall mobility, improve your body’s pressure response, and increase muscle.  Because kickboxing involves repeat muscular actions, over time you will build strength and burn fat.  Who doesn’t want that?
3. Increased Flexibility
   1. Repetitive movements like high kicks, low stances, fancy footwork, and ground maneuvering improve flexibility and mobility which will benefit your overall health.
      1. Improved posture
      1. Better freedom of movement
      1. Reduced muscle soreness and tension
      1. Improved relaxation of mind and body
      1. Reduced risk of injury.
4. Better Coordination
   1. Kickboxers require spacial awareness and coordinated movements with another person.  This improves proprioception and awareness of people and objects around you.
5. Self Defense Skills
   1. One obvious benefit to learning kickboxing is an improved ability to perform self defense maneuvers in situations where there is a real threat.  According to recent data, an aggravated assault occurs every 43 seconds in the United States.  Kickboxing will prepare practitioners to defend themselves in life threatening and dangerous situations.
6. Lower blood pressure and heart rate
   1. Participants in kickboxing have been shown to have lower blood pressure and heart rates.  Because of its similarity to high intensity interval training, kickboxing can improve overall heart health, lower cholesterol, and provide more regulated blood sugar and insulin levels.  A happier body overall!!
7. Improve your mental acuity
   1. Recent research showed that aerobic exercise, like kickboxing, actually produced physical change in the brain that promoted better memory and learning capability.
8. Improved social skills
   1. Working in a team environment, you are practicing alongside people with the same goals as you, learning and growing together.
9. Develop Self Discipline
   1. By attending kickboxing classes you will become accustomed to direction and structure.  In this environment you have to pay attention to the task at hand and rid your mind of distractions.  As you progress, you will gain self discipline that will be beneficial in every other area of life.
10. Stress relief
    1. Did you know that practicing kickboxing can help relieve stress?  Often this is accomplished by focusing on the present and things you can control.  When you do this you are learning a skill that can be applied to all areas of your life.  When you are more focused and confident, your thoughts are more clear.  You will relieve yourself of stress in so many ways in other parts of your life as well.

More than anything, going to a kickboxing class will help you develop an increased mental focus and a greater appreciation for the world around you through fun, safe, and challenging workouts in an encouraging environment of like-minded people.