Cardio Kickboxing
I’m so excited to tell you about the new group exercise class I tried last Monday, “cardio kickboxing”. My husband said he was going to do it with me, but when we got there, it was only women lined up, so he politely declined. (don’t blame him!) I’m so glad I tried this class- it was my absolute favorite of all the group classes I tried!
It was a new experience for sure, I’ve never worn boxing gloves before or punched a heavy bag. The bags were all stored in one corner of the class and you had to move it to the room to use. They are so heavy, you have to squat down with your back against the bag to even move it into position for class- that’s a workout in itself. Most people were two to a bag, but I had my own.
The class was an hour long, but went by fast. The instructor played awesome music and was great at explaining what combinations to do. I watched the two women in front of me (they seemed experienced and knew what to do) so I just followed them. I have to say it feels GREAT to let go and take all your stress, aggression, and anger out on that bag. I put a beating on it for sure. Even though I was wearing gloves, my knuckles were all red at the end. I was thinking I’ll buy my own gloves for the next class and maybe tape my knuckles.
But, the problem is, I hurt my right shoulder in the process. I woke up on Tuesday morning and it was kind of sore. By Wednesday, it hurt to move it. I still have a range of motion, but I can tell I strained it because it hurts to lift it shoulder height. Passing anything to my son in the backseat of the car is a killer. I’m so bummed because I want to go back to kickboxing, but I know I need to lay off it for awhile so it can heal.
I didn’t do any other exercise for the rest of the week, but I think I can run or do the stair master this week. Or maybe one of the other classes and just not use the weights. That would be more fun!
Have you tried kickboxing? What did you think? Any injuries or pointers to avoid injury? I’m going to talk to the instructor about my shoulder and see what he says.
Haven't tried it, but do know many friends who love it. You most likely hyperextended it and strained your rotator cuff muscle. Sometimes just using it in an unfamiliar way can do it. Having a volleyball player who had many stress injuries and a tear to her shoulder, I can tell you the best thing is to ice it down for 20 minutes every hour for the first few days and then less and less each day. An anti inflammatory will also help, such as Aleve. If it is sore, sometimes Bio Freeze helps, even if temporary. Best to rest! And, if you do choose to go back be SURE you are stretching those particular muscles prior to. The girls always had the same 20 minute or so warm-up, a lot of arm stretches, prior to playing even for practice.
Thanks for those tips Lauren, it's still hurting! 🙁
I would LOVE to do class like this near me!! I can't seem to find a class that offers bag classes, most are more just sequenced stepping with kicking and punching. I want to hit that bag!! Is this a small gym or a chain?
Oh yeah, the bag takes it to another level. I've seen these kinds of bags at different gyms, maybe just do a google search for your area. Hope you find one!
Awesome that you loved it, but such a bummer that you hurt your shoulder. I used to attend kickboxing classes at the gym and it was such a great class, but we didn't have gloves or the bag to work with. Still, it was great exercise 🙂 There is actually a place not too far from me (Title Kickboxing) that I have been wanting to try out. I will say that after my first class, I did go home and "practice" for class so I wouldn't injure myself. It's a lot of ab work to lunge forward and correctly hit the bag, but dropping your shoulder for some moves also helps too.
Linh
http://abeautifulrawr.com
You're right about the ab work. Thanks for those tips Linh.
I did Title Boxing for years and LOVED it! We wrapped our hands (like real boxers!) and did a pretty lengthy warm up to protect from injury. Hopefully your shoulder heals fast so you can get back in there. It's such a good workout!
So you know what I mean about loving this class! I hope my shoulder heals quickly too!
Meghan, kickboxing is fun and an awesome workout. Your own gloves are a must. The gloves at the gym are so smelly! When I started kickboxing, I went all out and did some damage to my joints, knees especially. My husband delicately pointed out that as we age, we can't place that much impact on our bones and joints. He is right; I want to keep my own knees. Your are striking an object that moves very little, if at all. You don't have to kill it, but I absolutely understand the feeling that you want to. You will get a great workout, no matter how hard you strike. Have fun!
Okay, so don't kill the bag! Ha! Yep, getting older we have to be more careful!
Oh my . . . to be young again.
That is something I would have tried thirty years ago:)
Connie, never too late! 😉
Megan, love your blogs…both of them! What do you look for when joining a gym? Do you like the chain type gyms or more of a sports country club? Keep up the great work! You are an inspiration!
Great question Catherine. There are often lots of gyms to choose from, so it's good to tour several before choosing. I consider location (if it's not convenient you'll be less likely to go), price/affordability, the condition of the equipment/weights, cleanliness, number of cardio equipment (so you're not having to wait), daycare, trainers, classes offered to name a few.
LOVE this. One of my favorite workout videos to do is Les Mills Combat. You don't realize how much SHOULDER work is in punching until you do something like that. I hope you heal up and enjoy another class. I would LOVE to take a live class with bags!!!!!
It’s good to know that you enjoyed your first time in kickboxing. It really is fun, because it helps you stay fit and healthy, and teaches you self-defense at the same time. It was just sad that you had to stop for a while because of your right shoulder. I hope the soreness didn’t last long. And to avoid it from happening again, you can do some stretching before and after every routine, so that your body can warm up and cool down properly. This will give your muscle a time to rest and also serves as a preparation for the next routine.
Conrad Mills @ Toronto Top Team
love your blog