I mean at a gym that REALLY does this - gloves and all?

I am curious if you got good fitness results - they claim it really reduces body fat as it is quite intense.

What joints stress or other "physical issues" should a middle aged woman worry about?

Background - I am at goal, pretty fit and active but looking for something new and intense but i do have some physical issues etc so can't run which is what I really want to do!

I go to a place called 9round fitness. It's defianately kickboxing. Started 4 weeks post op and go 5 times per week. I love it. Much better than the traditional gym. Everyone is there to work out. No TVs, no snack bar, no socializing. I pull up, walk in, work hard and I'm outta there in about 30 minutes. May not be for everyone but it was right for me. Down about 72 lbs. since my surgery October 8. Happy with the results so far. Good luck

I think youre referring to the sport of kickboxing as opposed to kickboxing cardio or a thousand other names for that like tae bo etc. But real kickboxing is a heck of a workout. I used to take it along with Shaolin Kempo and Tae Kwon Do in my younger days. its great for a workout and teaches some great flexibility and strength as well. as far as stresses, well if you have hip issues or lower back or knee, I would probably talk to whatever dojo you want to try first.

Some tend to move very fast and those might be hindrances, but some will take any physical needs into account and you would do just fine.

Either Way , with your past accomplishments here, you will kick butt at whatever you decide to do.

I mean at a gym that REALLY does this - gloves and all?

I am curious if you got good fitness results - they claim it really reduces body fat as it is quite intense.

What joints stress or other "physical issues" should a middle aged woman worry about?

Background - I am at goal, pretty fit and active but looking for something new and intense but i do have some physical issues etc so can't run which is what I really want to do!

Girl, I TEACH kickboxing.

Find a gym with reputable trainers and good reviews. You should be able to go at your own pace until you learn the moves. Even the most fit need to get the "groove" of kickboxing before they are proficient.

It's great exercise and so much fun.

Depending on where you live, there are also boxing gyms for jiu-jitsu, mma, and boxing for fitness. I have several friends who swear by this workout. They also say it provides excellent stress relief.

I *attempted* a cardio kickboxing class (no gloves: more aerobics with kickboxing elements) and felt like I was going to die. When I could breathe I was having fun. It's something I would definitely reconsider once I'm in better shape

It's great exercise and so much fun.

@@LipstickLady

i also have physical issues that effect my left leg/balance

at one time i had a trainer

unsuccessfully tried to help me with my balance

don't you need to have A LOT of balance/strength to be able to do this

if thats the case, i don't think i could try kickboxing

thanx

kathy

Edited January 14, 201511 yr by proudgrammy

I had a lemon sized brain tumor that killed my sense of balance. Through several years of martial arts, I restored my balance almost 100%.

Balance is important, but that will come. A good trainer will get you there at your pace, or at least take you to your limits. I would recommend Tai Chi, a form of martial arts that is gentle, with stretching and balance as it's core. It's like the yoga of martial arts. It's a wonderful art to practice.

You can be great at almost any sport you choose with practice. Just recognize your limitations and push them a little at a time.

(Yes, tai chi can be vigorous and quite effective for self defense, but many glasses are geared for seniors and physical rehabilitation. Do your research before signing up.)

Edited January 14, 201511 yr by LipstickLady

i did cardio kickboxing.. like a group aerobics class and it was fine. I have done some julian micheals DVDs along the same lines. this place has good reviews and has the bags you kick at, and you get gloves so it is a little different. The big appeal is that it is 5 minutes from my house.

it is called something like iluvkickboxing and there are 3-4 locations in the general area, but this one is wonderfully close to home.

I think I will try their little 3 class intro but I want to meet with them and discuss my physical issues first.

I am still so disappointed in my experience with personal training a year ago... really set me back due to HIS lack of knowledge.

thanks!

Iluvkickboxing is an umbrella company owned by my Grandmaster YKKim. His corporation offers groupons and living social deals through various schools. Real kickboxing is actually better for your joints than those classes as you tend to hyper extend them when you aren't kicking or punching an actual target.

If you have any joint issues, ALWAYS use a target. I'd also recommend supports for your knees and elbows if you have problems. I make my 16 year old wear them on her knees as she has hypermobility and often injures herself when she is doing more advanced kicks. It's a blood disease she has so there is nothing we can do about it but protect her best we can.

I don't care much for the gloves you get for free, but I can show you some alternates if you decide you like the classes. Decent ones only run about $25 and are much more comfortable and versatile. I can't wait to hear how it goes!!

I used to do a boxercise class, and it was so hard! It was an hour long but by the time I was finished I would be head to toe covered in sweat. I really got into it and I was getting quicker and so much stronger, but then I bust my knee . What I liked about it was the rhythm you build when you are punching in sequences, I would just tune out everything and keep concentrating on getting the proper sequence. I also loved working with the same partner each week because if we felt the punches getting softer we would push each other to dig a little deeper. Well anyway these classes are everywhere in the UK and I totally recommend doing them, but wait till you have built up some stamina first!

Thank you lipstick lady. I really want to get buff again...haha... I have lost some of my shoulder and arm definition..boohoo!

What kind of elbow and knee supports do you recommend - the braces like they sell at the drug store?

I am going to go in person and discuss with them and make sure i feel confident in their quality. I managed to exercise, get quite fit, toned etc on my own - with no injury - my problems began when I started working with an idiot personal trainer.

He assumed because i was fit I should be able to do a bunch of stuff like run stairs etc. That one I refused to do because of knee arthritis, but he had me doing other weird stuff I didn't recognize would be so hard on my joints.

Anyway, upshot was I got a very painful right hip, had to go to PT and have an injection and was out of intense exercise for the duration. ticked me off.

Not a doctor, but this helped my daughter a lot. Keeps the joint from hyper extending and twisting. She wears it to prevent pain. She wears a full sleeve brace if she is in pain but competing.

They have these for knees and elbows.

Stabilization is key. Proper form is a must. If they can't show you that, run. I don't feel qualified to help beginners or the injured as I am not a certified fitness trainer nor do I advertise myself as such. I teach experienced martial arts students -- I basically run them through their paces.

I did my first class this morning and it was really fun! It challenged me - and it wasn't just kickboxing, there was some running, planks, pushups, burpees etc. Other students were very encouraging and I feel like I caught on fast. I am hoping this high intensity fun class - close to home - helps propel me out of my little funk!

A good kickboxing class wil include a lot of those cardio/strength exercises. Sounds great!

Update on my kickboxing - I have only gone a few times so far because I hurt my knee doing zumba of all things! Anyway, knee is better and so I am building up. I started with 2X a week on the kickboxing and this week I am shooting for 3X. I bought a groupon so my goal is to use them all up in Feb and then join monthly in March.

Here is what is kicking my butt - lots of people share a bag/stand and when I do it is a reasonable workout. Most of the time I find myself on my own since I am the newbie and I get an off the hook intense exercise because during the "bag work" I don't get to even catch my breath. I love it - but it is off the hook intense.

So the problem I had yesterday was I had undereaten on carbs especially and barely made it through. I was overly hungry afterwards. I think I need to have a carb snack before the workout to prevent this.

( I was just at the doc and they were wowed by my heart rate of 59 and that was after walking around and just sitting down so not a true at rest rate. I love high intensity workouts and I believe that really contributes to aerobic capacity).

Anyway.. cautiously optimistic about getting more definition and lowering bodyfat %