Make Kickboxing a Part of Your New Year’s Resolution

As we usher in the new year, there's a buzz of resolutions, goals and promises in the air. For many women, one such resolution often revolves around fitness, health and empowerment. One fantastic way to meet all these goals is through kickboxing. However, the journey to the kickboxing gym can seem intimidating and nerve-wracking. This article is your guiding light, meant to inspire and motivate you to take that first step towards your kickboxing journey.

Why You Should Try Kickboxing

Kickboxing is not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle. If you choose to embark on this journey, you are not only signing up for a physically demanding workout, but also for a mental and emotional transformation. The benefits of kickboxing are manifold and go beyond physical fitness. It's an incredibly effective stress reliever, helps to boost confidence, enhances self-discipline, and fosters a powerful sense of self. So, if you're nervous about trying kickboxing, remember all the amazing benefits that await you.

Starting Your Kickboxing Journey

Starting a new fitness regime can be intimidating, especially if it's a high-intensity sport like kickboxing. However, remember that every expert was once a beginner. Don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back. Start with small steps. You could even begin by watching a few online videos to familiarize yourself with the basics. Once you feel comfortable, take the next step and join a beginner's class. You'll find that the kickboxing community is incredibly supportive and welcoming.

Overcoming Your Fears

It's natural to feel nervous or scared when trying something new. However, the fear of trying kickboxing should not outweigh the potential benefits. Remember, it’s okay to feel scared, but it’s not okay to let that fear stop you from trying something that could potentially change your life. Don't let fear of judgement, failure, or the unknown hold you back. You are stronger than your fears.

Embracing the Kickboxing Lifestyle

Once you've overcome your initial fears and started your kickboxing journey, it's time to truly embrace the lifestyle. This means committing to regular training, maintaining a healthy diet, and keeping a positive mindset. Kickboxing isn't just about the time you spend in the gym; it's about how you carry the lessons learned there into your everyday life. In time, you'll find that kickboxing has not just made you stronger physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

Motivation and Perseverance

Staying motivated can be challenging, especially when the going gets tough. But remember why you started this journey in the first place. Revisit your goals and visualize your success. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small. And most importantly, don't give up. Perseverance is key in kickboxing, as in life.

Wrapping Up

So, as we embark on this new year, let's commit to trying new things and pushing our boundaries. Let's face it, you're stronger than you think, and you're capable of more than you know. Kickboxing might be intimidating at first, but remember, every expert was once a beginner. So, why not make this the year you kick your fears to the curb and step into the kickboxing gym? It's time to empower your new year!

5 Habits I No Longer Have

There are habits to keep, and habits you need to ditch!

Here are some habits that I have left behind and how it has improved my life. 

Treating myself every time I run an errand

You know what I’m talking about. Go to target, get a Starbucks. Run an errand, stop through the drive thru for a little snack. Buy kids some new clothes, I need a new shirt too! 

While treating yourself is wonderful now and again, its also important to make sure that your treat is just that… a treat. Making it a routine to get a treat every time you go outside of your house can lead to bigger problems than just excess spending. 

This tricks your mind into thinking that even mundane tasks that we should be doing in order to take care of ourselves or our kids deserve praise. What we do for ourselves doesn’t always need to be praised, it should be the bare minimum. Going to the gym, going grocery shopping, making sure our children are taken care of… these are regular tasks. 

Save the little treats for special times or when something really exciting happens to make it even more special! 

Talking sh*t

Talking from personal experience here. It took a long time for me to understand this one fully. I used to be someone who would talk about other people in order to find a connection with those around me. It made me feel safer to talk about other people than to talk about myself or listen to other people. It was how I found my friendships and what I felt comfortable talking about. 

Looking back, this makes me so sad. I was so unhappy with my own life that I would put other women down, just to make myself feel better. 

One day something clicked and I vowed never to talk about someone behind their back unless it was praising them or talking positively. I have accidentally slipped a few times, but brought myself back and stopped. 

When we talk poorly about other people, it says more about us than it does about the victim of our sh*t talking. 

When we talk highly of others, it only helps bring us up together. When we lift other up, we rise together. 

This world is way too hard to live in already. We don’t need to add more mistrust, backstabbing, or friendships built on tearing others down. 

Drinking alcohol 

This one is very personal to me and I am sharing because it truly changed my life. Whether or not you choose to drink alcohol is 100% up to you. 

If you’d like to know more about this one, please listen to the episode below for more information. 

Telling myself I can’t, the “Must be nice” mentality

I would always hear “must be nice” any time someone would accomplish something, go on a vacation, or buy something nice for themselves. It was a common phrase I heard growing up that stuck with me. I would always think “must be nice to be able to run that fast” “must be nice to have a 6 pack” “must be nice to be able to go to the gym whenever you want”

The problem with this thinking is that it discredits the hard work and dedication that person put in to have/do those things. It also discredits YOU by saying that it will never happen to you or you will never have what they have. 

Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right!

Thinking that I have to do everything alone 

There is a whole group of women, friends, and people in your community waiting to help you. Whether its with a simple task, building a business, or watching your children, there is always someone willing to help you. 

Learning to ask for help can be extremely scary- especially if we have been hurt in the past. 

As women, we often feel alone or feel like we have to do everything ourselves in order for it to be done correctly. Sometimes that is true, we do things better when we do it ourselves, but sometimes its not true. We can learn so much from those around us and it never hurts to ask. Sometimes the answer will be “no”, and thats ok too.

-Bridgette

5 Tips for Gearing Up for the New Year

For the full episode, click here, or listen anywhere you listen to Podcasts or watch the podcast on Youtube. Video below. 

This season if full of chaos, travel, and joy. Here are some tips to help you get through this holiday season and start 2024 off with a BANG!

1. Schedule your days

Schedule it all, your workouts, meals and social time and then treat it like a work meeting. Avoid making it complicated and make it attainable.

2. Have a routine

Especially as this season is chaotic for most people, having any kind of routine is better than none. Any routine is fine, morning, night, mid day, a routine before you go to the gym?

If you don’t have a routine already in place, start one now, even if its super simple. Pick the easiest routine for you. 

3. Make a list of the things above

For all of these, write it down, make a note in your phone, however you prefer and make sure to refer back to it often. Do not rely on your memory! Weeks will go by and you won’t even notice until its too late fi you try to remember all the things you said you wanted to do. 

4. Make a list of your goals and needs for your spouse, friends, household

Write down what your goals are and why they are important to you. The more meaning behind your goals, the better.

Write down your needs for the people around you. This is the best way to ask for support and using communication to get to your goals. If you can make it so your needs also help the people around you, the more likely they will be supportive and it will strengthen your relationship. (This is very difficult to write out, I highly suggest listening to the podcast for this one.)

Some examples:

Goal: Go to kickboxing class twice/week to gain more confidence in my own body. Classes are offered M, T, Th, F, S

Need: When I have a workout planned, please don’t make me feel guilty when I leave the house instead of staying home with you. It is only one hour and I will come back feeling much better and have a happier attitude- and we can shower together after *wink wink*

Goal: Eat healthfully so that I don’t have another health scare. The last time I went to the doctor, it really scared me. I want to be able to play with my grandkids one day and to live a healthy life and grow old with you!

Need: When we go out to eat and I choose a salad or only get water instead of my normal fruity cocktail, please be supportive and don’t peer pressure me into drinking or eating mozzarella sticks which are my weakness!

5. Don’t wait for the perfect time

Why wait until the 1st? You can change your life at any time. You can start NOW, you can start February 7th! You can start whenever it is that you realize you need change in your life. 

The longer you wait, the longer you're delaying change 

“What you’re not changing, you’re choosing.”

15 Minute Circuit

The following exercises are to be performed for 40 seconds followed by a 20 second rest.

When the first round is complete, take a full minute of rest before beginning again.

Complete 3 rounds for a 15 minute workout.

Do each exercise as quickly as possible. Do not stop moving. If you need to slow down or modify, do that, but DO NOT STOP MOVING. Rest completely during the rest times.

-around the world lunges

-mountain climbers

-squat with punches

-walkouts to a push-up, hop forward

Hip Stability Wall Exercises

These exercises are with postpartum mamas in mind, but anyone with hip instability could benefit from them.

During pregnancy, a woman’s hips expand, move in new ways, and bear the weight of a baby. When its time to go back to normal, the muscles are stretched and there is a loss of stability from the teeny tiny muscles that keep the pelvis together and stable. This can cause a lot of pain especially in the lower back. This is something I suffer from myself.

These few exercises are meant to be controlled and slow. If done correctly, you should have your abs contracted and tight to keep you upright and pressed against the wall and floor. You should feel everything from your head to your toes working to keep you stable.

Wall Sits with Arm Movements

• Lean up against a wall and squat down until your knees form a 90 degree angle.

• Pressing your back against the wall, keep your abs tight and your knees pointed straight over your toes as you extend your arms out to the side or above your head. You can use a resistance band if you have one.

• Avoid sagging or letting your shoulders drop forward.

• Repeat this exercise for 30-60 seconds or until you cannot keep good form.

Bridges with Feet on the Wall

• Lie on the floor with your bottom 10-12 inches away from the wall.

• Press your feet to the wall hip-width apart.

• Curve your bottom up toward the ceiling as high as you can, hold for a second, then release slowly back to the start position.

• Try your best to keep your hips moving at the same time. In the video below, you can see my hips swaying to try to stay balanced.

• You can do this exercise single legged as well. Move one foot off of the wall and lift toward the ceiling. Avoid rocking back- think of your foot trying to touch the ceiling.

• Repeat this exercise 15-20 repetitions.

Frog Bridges with Feet on the Wall

• In the same position as the bridge, move your feet together so that the outside of your feet are against the wall and let your knees fall outward.

• Keeping your knees out, press your feet against the wall and lift your hip to the ceiling.

• Repeat the exercise for 15-20 repetitions.

Straight-Leg Marching

• Sit with your bottom against the wall and legs straight in front of you, feet flexed.

• Lift one leg at a time slightly off of the floor. This might only be 1/2 of an inch.

• If your body is moving, you are lifting too high. Your head to your hips should be stable and not move during the exercise.

• Avoid slouching and straining when doing the exercise.

• Repeat 15-20 repetitions

Bent-Knee Abduction/Adduction

• Sitting in the same position as the straight-leg marching, bend your knees until comfortable but not closer than 12 inches from your bottom.

• Slowly release one knee out to the side while keeping the opposite knee stable.

• Bring the knee back to the center and switch sides.

• Avoid slouching and straining during the exercise.

• Keep your entire body, except the working leg, stable and unmoving.

• Repeat this exercise 15-20 repetitions

Exercises To Do With Your Baby

Playing with your baby is an important way to bond, teach your baby about the sense of touch, stimulate reflexes and help develop motor skills. Why not have play help both of you improve?

Walkouts:

• With your baby laying down in front of you at the top of your mat, stand tall at the bottom of your mat.

• Keeping your legs as straight as possible, reach down toward your toes.

• Use your hands to walk out toward your baby until you are in a plank position with your face directly above your baby’s. At this position, you can smile, count, “peek-a-boo”, or do whatever makes your baby laugh.

• Slowly walk your hands back up to your feet and return to the standing position.

Push-ups:

• Starting in the plank position or on your knees with your baby’s face under yours, bend your arms so that your entire torso lowers to the ground. Keep your core tight and try not to sag in the middle or lift your bottom to the sky.

• While you get closer to your baby, you can count, blow raspberries or kiss your baby.

• Press back up to the starting position.

Bird dogs:

• On hands and knees with your baby directly underneath you, lift your left are straight out in front of you and your right leg back behind you.

• Keeping your torso as still as possible, bring your knee and elbow together and contract your belly button to your spine. Return to the starting position and switch sides.

• Use your free hand to tickle your baby or count and “peek-a-boo”

Planks:

• With your baby’s face directly under yours, hold a plank position.

• While you hold the plank, sing a song or tell a story to your baby.

Downdog Kickbacks:

• With your baby directly under you, get into a plank position.

• Pick your bottom up to the sky keeping your arms and legs as straight as possible into the down dog position.

• Kick one leg up behind you and slowly bring your body and knee down toward your elbow. This is a perfect “peek-a-boo” exercise.

• Repeat the exercise on the same leg before switching sides.