Cardio Kickboxing as Emotion Therapy

by Sahara Gabales

I have tried many sports and activities throughout my life: ballet, tap, gymnastics, cheerleading, karate, and softball. However, none of these have impacted my life as significantly as the sport that I discovered a year ago: cardio kickboxing. I wanted to improve my health, so I decided to take a cardio kickboxing class at UNLV for course credit. Cardio kickboxing differs from regular kickboxing, because it combines martial arts with fast-paced cardio. Cardio kickboxing improved my mental health by helping me cope with my stress, manage my anger, and improve my self-esteem.

Prior to taking this fitness class, I had difficulty finding a way to cope with stress. Some stressors that affected me daily included balancing school with two jobs and making time for family and friends. I used to go to the gym to try to reduce stress, but I often lacked motivation and did not enjoy using the treadmills and other exercise equipment. However, I was always motivated to attend cardio kickboxing class and there was never a time that I did not look forward to it. While in the class, I learned that physical activity is an excellent way to reduce stress because it releases endorphins. This class encouraged me to try out other exercises at my local gym and I discovered that running and other cardio-related exercises are also a great way to reduce stress.

Cardio kickboxing has also helped me manage my anger. The main causes of my anger included accumulation of stress and sleep deprivation. Cardio kickboxing allowed me to release tension in a nonviolent way, because I did not have to perform the moves I learned on other students. One of my favorite things about this class was that the only person you were in competition with was yourself. Not having to compete against other students created a positive and stress-free environment. The instructor and students were friendly and helped create a positive environment as well, which helped me manage anger by positively affecting my mood.

Lastly, cardio kickboxing improved my self-esteem. Since high school, I had gained 15 pounds, which negatively affected my self-esteem. Cardio kickboxing helped me lose 20 pounds in only four months by requiring me to exercise at least twice a week and by encouraging me to eat healthier. I have always had difficulty losing weight because I lacked motivation to work out and take care of myself, so seeing that I was capable of losing weight made me more confident. Mastering the kicks and punches also helped improve my self-esteem. I was not very good at previous sports that I tried, so I thought that I would not be good at cardio kickboxing either. At first, I had difficulty keeping up with the instructor’s pace and learning the kicks and punches. However, by remaining confident and by practicing the moves, I was able to improve drastically. Building my confidence improved my self-esteem and made me realize that I can turn my failures into success if I practice and believe in myself.

Although this class was only four months long, I still perform the workouts I learned. I do the kickboxing workouts at home when I do not want to go to the gym or when I am feeling stressed or angry. I encourage everyone to try cardio kickboxing because it is a great way to have fun and stay in shape while improving your mental health.

Sahara Gabales has been a member of the Interactive Measurement Group since Fall 2016. During her time in lab, Sahara co-authored a research poster, presented it at AABSS, and was a Teaching Assistant for PSY 210. Sahara is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Marriage and Family Therapy. After she graduates in Spring 2019, Sahara hopes to attend UNLV’s Master of Social Work Program.