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5 Mental Health Benefits of Kickboxing
By Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT Rachel MacPherson is a health writer, certified personal trainer, and exercise nutrition coach based in Montreal. Learn about our editorial process Published on January 31, 2022 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals.
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Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates.
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Learn more. by Heather Black, CPT Reviewed by
Heather Black, CPT Heather Black, CPT is a NASM-certified personal trainer and owner of Heather Black Fitness & Nutrition where she offers remote and in-person training and nutrition coaching.
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Learn about our Review Board Print Tom Werner / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Mental Health Benefits of Kickboxing Kickboxing Workouts to Try Kickboxing has been growing in popularity, and for good reason—it is an excellent form of all-around exercise, proving both strength and cardiovascular benefits. With the ability to punch and kick bags, pads, and other gear, it is no wonder that many people find kickboxing an effective stress buster as well.
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Mental Health Benefits of Kickboxing To find out more about the mental health benefits of kickboxing, we spoke to Raquel “Rocky” Harris who has won titles in Karate, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. She traveled with Team USA and secured a Gold Medal in her first World Championship tournament. She is also a USA Boxing Coach certified FightCamp trainer.
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Kickboxing is a combat sport involving two competitors, each directing foreceful strikes with the hands, elbows, knees, shins, and feet toward the other. Styles include Muay Thai, American or European kickboxing, Chinese San Shou, and French Savate. Regulates Mood "When the weight of our stress becomes overwhelming, our mind needs to release mental pressure through physical action.
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This would provide temporary relief and increase the production of endorphins. That’s why punching and kicking a heavy bag feels good. It gives you the opportunity to channel your vent through strikes plus reshape chemical imbalances.
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Regular training in kickboxing will help relieve symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and ADHD," explains Harris. Mood improvements, in general, can be seen from participating in physical activity due to endorphin release—chemicals in your brain that play a role in mood regulation and feelings of happiness, euphoria, and excitement.
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Busts Stress Kickboxing is an excellent stress buster, as mentioned above. Research shows that regular exercise such as kickboxing training can build resiliency to stress.
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Similar to how exercise can regulate your mood, it can help with stress reduction through endorphin production. The intense level of cardiovascular demand that is necessary for kickboxing has been shown to release these feel-good chemicals, effectively reducing feelings of stress. Increases Confidence "Kickboxing is a rewarding journey.
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Beyond fitness, you are contributing to your own personal growth and technical skills. Persevering through a round in kickboxing or stringing combinations will improve your self-esteem.
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Breaking through obstacles in honor of your commitment to this journey will influence your opinion of yourself," says Harris. Research backs up Harris's claims—participation in kickboxing is shown to require and improve self-confidence, motivation, dispositional hope and optimism, mental toughness, resiliency, and adaptive perfectionism. Learning the techniques in kickboxing can provide confidence in your ability to defend yourself as well.
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You may feel more at ease in certain spaces knowing you have the skills to protect yourself if needed. Of course, always practice safety and precautions in any circumstance. The 7 Best Online Self-Defense Classes of 2022
Boosts Motivation and Ability to Complete Tasks "Every kickboxing workout is an opportunity to create meaningful moments.
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From finishing a challenging round, sudden comprehension of a strike, or recognizing a difference in your output. Think of these moments as a deck of cards. Each time you add to the deck, you create more experiences to pull from then use later as a catalyst for completing a new task.
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What could be more motivating than a personal “you got this” reminder?" says Harris. Following the routines involved in centering much of your activity around your kickboxing practice can lead to lasting effects in motivation to maintain a healthy active lifestyle. Improves Memory Focus and Sharpness "Complex kickboxing combinations require mental effort.
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To perform, you have to memorize the order then you have to eliminate your surroundings and focus. With focus, you can continue the movements for an entire round. Challenging yourself to continue a pattern for an entire round will improve your overall memory, focus, and sharpness," explains Harris.
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Kickboxing techniques require balance and coordination. These types of movements have been shown to improve brain functioning and cognitive functioning.
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Balance training such as that required to stand on one leg and kick, knee, or spin, leads to memory and spatial awareness improvements. Cardio "Kickboxing" vs.
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Traditional Kickboxing There are two main types of kickboxing classes, the kind you find at big box gyms that are typically titled "cardio kickboxing" and the type found at niche training centers that teach the fundamentals and advanced skills of traditional kickboxing. If you want a good aerobic workout and aren't interested in technical skills, the big box version might suit you. If you want to gain skills and learn specific techniques, try your hand at a more traditional style.
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Kickboxing Workouts to Try Here are some resources to try if you'd like to learn more about kickboxing or perform a kickboxing-inspired workout: The 7 Best Online Kickboxing Classes of 2022
A 20-Minute Punching Bag Workout
The MMA Workout You Can Do at Home
A Word From Verywell Kickboxing is well-known for its benefits to mental health, especially as a stress reliever and safe way to relieve tension. Centering your physical activity around the habitual practice of kickboxing has many carryovers into your personal wellbeing including confidence building, and improved brain health. Whether you prefer cardio based kickboxing-inspired group exercise classes, training for the techniques of kickboxing as a sport, or working out in your living room to kickboxing-inspired sessions, you can experience the benefits this sport has to offer for yourself.
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How Running Improves Your Mental Health 9 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Diamond A, Ling DS. Conclusions about interventions, programs, and approaches for improving executive functions that appear justified and those that, despite much hype, do not. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
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2016;18:34-48. doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2015.11.005 Bird N, McCarthy G, O’Sullivan K. Exploring the effectiveness of an integrated mixed martial arts and psychotherapy intervention for young men’s mental health.
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Am J Mens Health. 2019;13(1):155798831983212.
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doi:10.1177%2F1557988319832121 Anderson E, Shivakumar G. Effects of exercise and physical activity on anxiety.
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Front Psychiatry. 2013;4. doi:10.3389%2Ffpsyt.2013.00027 Working out boosts brain health.
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American Psychological Association. March 4, 2020.
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Childs E, de Wit H. Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults. Front Physiol. 2014;5:161. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00161 Aylett E, Small N, Bower P. Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice - a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Health Serv Res.
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2018;18(1):559. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5 Slimani M, Chaabene H, Miarka B, Franchini E, Chamari K, Cheour F.
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Kickboxing review: anthropometric, psychophysiological and activity profiles and injury epidemiology. bs. 2017;2:185-196.
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doi:10.5114%2Fbiolsport.2017.65338 Arlinghaus KR, Johnston CA. The importance of creating habits and routine. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2018;13(2):142–144.
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doi:10.1177/1559827618818044 Rogge AK, Röder B, Zech A, et al. Balance training improves memory and spatial cognition in healthy adults.
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Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):5661. doi:10.1038%2Fs41598-017-06071-9 By Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT
Rachel MacPherson is a health writer, certified personal trainer, and exercise nutrition coach based in Montreal.
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Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles Best Online Kickboxing Classes of 2022 A Beginner’s Guide to Kickboxing What Are Morning Rituals and Why You Should Consider Using Them 8 Evidence-Based Reasons Why You Should Take a Lunch Break 10 Practices to Add to Your Morning Routine, And Why What to Expect Before Your First Kickboxing Class What to Expect From a Hatha Yoga Class Health Benefits of Cycling: 6 Reasons Cycling Is Good For You Best Jiujitsu Classes of 2022 The Real Reasons You're Not Motivated to Exercise How to Make Running a Lifelong Sport Endorphins: The Body's Natural Pain Relievers Can You Really Burn 1,000 Calories in an Hour With Title Boxing Club? 5 Health Benefits of Walking 5 Miles a Day Best Online Exercise Classes of 2022 The Best Punching Bags of 2022, Tested in Our Lab When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies.
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