The benefits of exercise are widely publicized, and for good reason. A regular fitness routine is great for your mind and your body. In fact, maintaining a regular fitness regimen improves all areas of your life. Exercise offers a happier attitude, stronger heart and lungs, a better sex-life, increased self-confidence, a more restful night’s sleep, reduced risk of chronic disease and better weight management. Sign me up.
Exercise DVDs are great for those of us who are convinced of the benefits of regular fitness activity but still cannot manage to find time to get to the gym. I got hooked on exercise DVDs when my schedule became so hectic that regular fitness activity dropped a few notches on my priority scale. Looking for a way to workout in a hurry without spending the time or money to join a gym and not wanting to purchase costly home fitness equipment, exercise DVDs made sense. The extra bonus exercise DVDs provide is their mobility. Pack your favorite fitness DVDs for a convenient way to maintain your exercise routine while traveling.
Kickboxing is an efficient way to exercise. Kickboxing is the quickest workout for overall cardiovascular conditioning while increasing your strength, flexibility and balance at the same time. Modern kickboxing is a fusion of martial arts, boxing and aerobics. The right kickboxing DVD combines these elements with upbeat music to offer total physical conditioning. And exercising with DVDs allows you to start at a level that suits you and gradually progress. In the comforts of your home, you can exercise at the time and pace of your choice. So get ready. Here are my top 5 kickboxing DVD recommendations (in no particular order).
Kickboxing Workout DVD Recommendation #1
10 Minute Solution – Kickbox Boot Camp (2005)
Instructor: Keli Roberts
List Price: $15.00
The 10 Minute Solution exercise DVDs are straight forward and well organized. In the Kickbox Boot Camp DVD, the exercises are presented, as you might have guessed, in 10 minute increments; each segment focusing on a specific body part. This particular fitness DVD offers 5 boot camp-style kickboxing workouts. Progressively increasing in intensity, the first 10 minute exercise segment – Basic Training – is a ‘must’ for kickboxing novices. In the Basic Training section, Keli Roberts teaches fundamental kickboxing moves for a total-body workout. This introductory segment lays the foundation for the next 4 installments but also delivers a decent stand alone beginner’s workout. The concept of the 10 Minute Solution exercise DVDs appeals to me because I can tailor-build an individual program to meet my daily fitness goals.
The 5 segments offered on the 10 Minute Solution – Kickbox Boot Camp DVD includes Basic Training, Ultimate Buns and Thighs, Arm and Shoulder Sculptor which incorporates light hand-weights into the punching routine, Washboard Abs and an intense Fat Burning Blast. Many of Keli’s moves are unique and this exercise DVD keeps you moving. Her no-nonsense approach is appealing and her combinations are well explained and easy to follow. If done straight through, you have 50 minutes of solid total body conditioning exercises.
Kickboxing Workout DVD Recommendation #2
Quick Fix: Total Cardio Kick (2004)
Instructor: Janis Saffell
List Price: $10.00
The Quick Fix exercise DVDs, as with the 10 Minute Solution exercise DVDs, are divided into 10 minute segments. Targeting a particular body part in 10 minute increments offers the freedom to organize your workouts with a specific focus. For example, if you choose Monday for upper-body exercises, select several 10 minute routines from a variety of workout DVDs for arms, shoulders and chest. Personally design a thorough upper-body program with the use of multiple 10 minute exercise DVDs. On an alternate day, do the same for lower-body. The flexibility and personalization will keep you motivated. For this reason, I recommend the 10 minute kickboxing DVDs.
No kickboxing workout DVD list would be complete without a Janis Saffell recommendation. Specializing in kickboxing, Janis has a familiar old-school style of instruction that includes excellent cueing. Janis gets into the exercises quickly and has your heart pumping from the beginning. Quick Fix: Total Cardio Kick offers 3-10 minute segments, the first workout focusing on upper body conditioning with a variety of cardio boxing punches. The second 10 minute installment concentrates on cardio and lower body moves with the use of traditional Martial Arts kicks focused on legs and lower back. And the final workout targets the core at a fast and effective pace. An all-around well done workout DVD.
Kickboxing Workout DVD Recommendation #3
Kickbox Underground (2005)
Instructor: Guillermo Gomez
List Price: $8.00
Kickbox Underground is a favorite exercise DVD for several reasons. Guillermo Gomez is a black belt martial arts expert who infuses the workout with a calm and focused attitude. A charming and engaging instructor, Guillermo starts slowly and gradually builds up the intensity in this workout. This DVD is promoted as an intermediate fitness level workout but it moves slowly in places. Because I like Guillermo’s style, I’ve increased the workout intensity by adding weight gloves, which makes a huge difference. The workout seamlessly combines basic kickboxing steps with moves to help sharpen focus, awareness and balance. The production is a bit weak but the great Techno music makes up for it. Easy to follow, this 40 minute fitness routine starts with upper body work and progresses to the more advanced martial-arts style kicking moves. The routine ends with an especially calming cool down. Overall, Kickbox Underground is a solid kickboxing workout DVD.
Kickboxing Workout DVD Recommendations #4 & #5
Tae Bo Cardio (2003)
Ultimate Tae Bo (2007)
Instructor: Billy Blanks
List Price: $13.00 each
It’s best to review these Tae Bo exercise DVDs in combination because a similar theme runs through all the Billy Blanks fitness DVDs. I stayed away from Tae Bo for a long time, figuring it was an overexposed fad. But as my affinity for kickboxing grew, I decided to give Billy a chance. Well, Billy Blanks is a seven-time World Martial Arts Champion and it’s easy to understand why. There is a decidedly upbeat and positive message woven throughout Tae Bo Cardio and Ultimate Tae Bo (as well as the entire Tae Bo DVD series). Extremely motivational, Billy Blanks has an honest and engaging manner that inspires you to perform these kickboxing moves with gusto. Seriously challenging exercises, Tae Bo incorporates martial arts style kickboxing fundamentals with faith-based messages of uplifting encouragement. The guy makes you believe you can do it all.
Tae Bo Cardio may not be on a ‘hard-body’ fitness enthusiast’s kickboxing DVD list but I’ve included it because of the instructional nature of the workout. This Tae Bo DVD provides a foundation for kickboxing fundamentals and a good basic introduction to Tae Bo. With great attention to form, the workout begins with a proper warm-up and gradually builds in intensity. The transitions are a bit sloppy and the repetitions are not equal per side so be warned if this type of thing bothers you. The 40 minute program is easy for Tae Bo beginners to follow and delivers a beginner or intermediate level workout, depending on how hard you push yourself.
The Ultimate Tae Bo DVD lives up to its title. It’s a 90 minute high-energy, exhausting program of traditional Tae Bo moves designed for a total body workout. The exercises are geared towards sculpting your body, strengthening your core and burning fat. This fitness DVD is for the more advanced exerciser. The music is good and keeps you motivated, aside from the comical dance moves at the end. Billy’s cues are easy to follow but you will come up to speed quicker if you already know basic Tae Bo moves. Even with a built-in stopping place at 1 hour, Ultimate Tae Bo is a long workout. If you stick with it, however, you will see results quickly.
In summary, there are many kickboxing exercise DVDs on the market today and workout DVDs have evolved tremendously. Far different from video workouts of the past, the trend of Martial arts based kicks and punches combined with fat-blasting cardio makes exercising with DVDs more fun and challenging. Kickboxing is a rigorous workout and a great way to reduce stress; kickboxing exercises help improve balance, sharpen reflexes, increase flexibility, coordination, and endurance. Don’t we all need that? Give the kickboxing exercise DVDs a try and see which ones appeal to you personally. The five I listed are available at amazon.com. Have fun.
Sources:
Kids Health
http://kidshealth.org/teen/
Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676
DVD Cases for:
10 Minute Solution – Kickbox Boot Camp
Quick Fix: Total Cardio Kick
Kickbox Underground
Tae Bo Cardio
Ultimate Tae Bo
