RSSKICKBOXING : STRENGTHEN YOUR ATTITUDE
February 14, 2008
I’ve said before, in the article Movement Is Not About Weight Loss, that exercise is about a whole lot more than what you look like. In that article, I concluded that the most important benefit of exercise is its ability to adjust how you think. It hits a reset switch in your head that sharpens all your thinking processes, analytical and creative.
The specifics of this adjustment vary a little from person to person, what is certain is that you become more confident. It happens very soon, before your body has had time to change. It is absolutely a new head space.
Be a warrior.
Bring it, honey
Although your self-assurance is improved, with any kind of movement, some types seem to get you there faster than others. Kickboxing offers you a shortcut that you might not find with biking or swimming.
It confers a certain “don’t mess with me” attitude because it’s more aggressive towards another person than many sports. Wrestling would probably be much this way. You’re not trying to beat a clock, or a ball, or a net, or a time. The target of your force is another person, albeit imaginary
Count on yourself
That assertive frame of mind carries over into everyday life. It can be mistaken for aggression instead of power, but others can sense it. The signal you send says “I can take on anything” because you believe it to be true.
Challenges are easier to face because you know that you can’t be knocked down easily. And if you are temporarily rocked, you will come up fighting. You’ll be able to do this because you’ll have done it already in the fighting simulation of a kickboxing workout.
Deal with stress (don’t let it deal with you)
For some reason, the idea of being able to fight with my legs appeals to me. Legs that are strong and feel weightless are easy to move with intent. Often women can barely picture themselves hitting something, let alone getting specific about it. For example, how often do you try, with purpose, to drive your fist up under the chin of the person in front of you?
Too forceful? Maybe, but no one is really getting hurt. If you don’t want to envision a person, then make a mental picture of your obstacles and give them one well-aimed kick. Back in the days when I was a much angrier person, I could blow off a lot of steam with kickboxing. It really calmed me down. It just felt good to hit something.
Every base covered
As with circuit workouts, where you get cardio and strength together, kickboxing is a ‘fitness all-inclusive’. You certainly get cardio and strength. In equal measure, you’ll also get a great core strength workout, some excellent agility and balance work, and a flexibility challenge.
As many of you know, I work out at home. I have some incredible kickboxing exercise videos. In the follow up to this article, I will be showing you each one. If you know of some great ones, please tell me about them.
Get your game face on.
Comments
3 Responses to “KICKBOXING : STRENGTHEN YOUR ATTITUDE”
Got something to say? I hope so.
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A Greener Tea
Web Maintenence by Rick Beckman
Christine,
This article caught my eye because of what you wrote about the mental reset that movement provides:
“the most important benefit of exercise is its ability to adjust how you think. It hits a reset switch in your head that sharpens all your thinking processes, analytical and creative.
The specifics of this adjustment vary a little from person to person, what is certain is that you become more confident. It happens very soon, before your body has had time to change. It is absolutely a new head space”
I can not agree emphatically enough. Movement, especially hard physical labor that ‘effects change’ has been my lifesaver. We just moved to a home that provides me with my first front and backyard. Even though we are renting, we must take care of the lawn and I decided to get a workout and do some hardcore landscaping- I dug, I planted flower beds and even a garden! I love sweating and seeing the results of my labor but most importantly, it really clears the cobwebs from my brain. I don’t think, I just do. It’s better than therapy. I also plan to start boxing to music with my new heavy bag. My advice to others, depressed and confused, MOVE. Effect change - the end result matters little. The benefit is TRULY the process. I’m a former goth chick, cosmetics counter manager and a bit of a princess. Now I SWEAT, get REALLY dirty and feel like a goddess.
Best to you, Christine and this website. I hope to contribute to your wonderful content regularly!
Vicki in San Antonio, TX
“GO SPURS”
Vicki, I love your comment , especially the part about feeling like a goddess ! Your description of yourself makes a great image.
At the time, it’s exactly what you said … you don’t think, you just do. The impact it makes on the thinking after is so huge that it still surprises me every time. It’s like all these thoughts and ideas are suddenly revealed to you.
What movement does for your appearance, and maybe even your health, takes a back seat to what it does for your head. I’m glad to have found another woman who feels the same way.