The gym is one of the most popular fitness options in the world, with millions of people having memberships. Gyms are a great option for physical activity as it is convenient, easy, and much more accessible than other fitness routines. A town might not have a Zumba class, but it will definitely have a gym.
People prefer gyms for many reasons, and one of them is because gyms are a safer option. People with no knowledge about fitness can go to gyms and find something to do that they like. There are a variety of machines to choose from in a gym, and most people join a gym to use cardio equipment. Most people assume that there is no better option than a gym for losing weight or gaining muscle when the reality is far from it.
If we look outside of gyms, there are tons of more alternatives available, and some are even better than a gym. Kickboxing is one of the many options. Many people are not aware of kickboxing and its benefits; the unfortunate part is that they don’t even realize they are missing out on an excellent workout routine and probably better health and body.
This article will draw comparisons between the gym and kickboxing to understand which one is better. Before we dive into it, let’s first see what kickboxing is and how it can be better for you.
Kickboxing and its benefits:
Kickboxing is exactly what the name suggests. Kicks and boxing combine to become kickboxing. During a practice session, individuals learn to coordinate their kicks and punches to overcome the opponent or a punching bag.
It is a combat fighting workout inspired by karate.
This type of workout is more intense and incorporates the whole body. A lot of technique goes into kickboxing as the punches and kicks have to be precisely placed without wasting too much energy.
Kickboxing is not just for fighting or striking, but it is a perfect fit for enhancing overall body fitness or weight loss. Yes, you can lose weight with kickboxing and tone your body more efficiently than other exercises.
Now that we are aware of what kickboxing is, it’s time to see which is better, kickboxing or gym?
Kickboxing Teaches You Self Defense
Can running on a treadmill or lifting the weights teach you a thing or two about kickboxing? We didn’t think so; although running can certainly add to your speed so you can run away in difficult situations but kickboxing will help you tackle it.
Kickboxing is not just a fitness workout or an exercise to help you lose weight. The kicks and punches you learn to throw throughout the workout will help you a lot if, God forbid, you to find yourself in a dangerous scenario.
As kickboxing is something that increases your confidence, you can use it to your advantage to overpower anyone that comes your way with an intention to harm you. Knowing how to physically defend yourself is very important in today’s day, and age and kickboxing teach it to you.
Better Full-Body Workout
If you join the gym, you have to use different equipment to work different body parts. You might have heard about abs day, legs day, arms day, etc., but why shouldn’t you focus on every part of your body every day? Kickboxing is a way you can focus on every part of your body.
In a gym, you have to do different exercises for every part of your body, but in a kickboxing routine, you are hands-on and essentially working on every muscle you can think of. With kickboxing, you won’t have to worry about skipping a leg day because every day is a full body day.
This is why your body gets better toned with kickboxing compared to a gym. Yes, you might find kickboxing classes to be a little on the costly side, but it is worth it with the benefits it provides you. Gyms are reasonable, but you will have to spend much more time toning your body, and the total expense somewhat becomes equal.
Help You Lose Stress
We all go through stress, and sometimes all we want to do is thrash something or punch something hard enough to let go of the pent-up anger. People might argue that gyms also help in stress relief, and it is true; they that they help relieve the stress,, but kickboxing hits different.
In a gym, you just exercise or use the equipment to keep your mind off of things and release endorphins to feel happy, but in a kickboxing session, you can direct your anger towards things to get over them. Kickboxing provides a healthier stress release of the pressure in a very natural manner.
No Chance of Slacking
Let’s face it, the first few weeks of the gym are full of passion and enthusiasm, but it all slowly dries down because there is no one to motivate you if you don’t have a personal trainer. Once you are in a routine, you might even start skipping the gym because of procrastination. It becomes repetitive, and your enthusiasm is not the same as it used to be in the beginning.
In kickboxing, slacking off or losing your motivation is not an option because your instructor will take care of it for you. If you have a private instructor or you are a part of a full class, having an instructor around will help you greatly. They will keep track of your progress and help you address the shortcoming. They will help you improve by overcoming the problems whereas in a gym you are mostly on your own.
Having a bunch of people around you who are doing the same thing as you are is motivating, and you can make friends that can help you improve. In a gym, most people are on their own and don’t like indulging in conversations as they just want to do their thing. So, kickboxing is much more motivating than a gym.
