BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : OCTOBER 16, 2000 ISSUE
BUSINESSWEEK LIFESTYLE Kung Fu Meets Jazzercise The newest cardio-fitness craze is fun--and tough Bored with aerobics and walking for exercise, Stacey Wingate was ready for something new. She discovered cardio kickboxing at a martial arts studio in Fayetteville, Ark. ''I'd heard good things about it but had no idea what I was getting into,'' says the 35-year-old customer-satisfaction specialist at Tyson Foods ( TSN). Now, nine months later, she goes through the punch-and-kick routines at least three days a week. ''It's so much fun and a real stress reliever,'' she says. ''I sometimes picture my boss during class.'' Such exercise, combining rapidly executed martial arts moves and aerobic dance steps, has become enormously popular. Set to pulsating music, the workouts promote cardiovascular stamina and help with balance and flexibility. Marketed under such names as Kardio Karate, Tae Box, and Kickin' Kung Fu, cardio kickboxing began about 10 years ago, when a few aerobic dance studios in California added pugilism to workouts to attract more men. At the same time, some martial arts instructors improved attendance at their classes by having students execute combat moves to a thumping, hip-hop beat. What really made cardio kickboxing take off was a 1998 infomercial made by karate expert and actor Billy Blanks promoting his brand of the exercise, Tae-Bo. TV exposure turned the bald-headed black belt's exercise video into a national best-seller. Now, some 80% of the 4,000 clubs represented by Boston's International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Assn. (IHRSA) offer cardio kickboxing, says William Howland Jr., the organization's director of research. Taught at athletic clubs as well as martial arts studios, cardio kickboxing classes usually last an hour, with the first 15 minutes devoted to warm-up and stretching movements. The heat and beat increase during the next half-hour, as you rhythmically bob, weave, block, punch, and kick. In the final 15 minutes, you cool down and stretch again. Some classes involve punching and kicking heavy bags. Wingate says the resistance of the bags has helped her develop ''muscles in my back and sides I didn't know I had.'' WATCH YOUR FORM. She's lucky she hasn't torn or strained any of those muscles. Fitness organizations, such as IHRSA, have sounded alarms about the startling number of injuries occurring in cardio kickboxing classes. ''The rapid, ballistic movements can really get you into trouble,'' says Peg Jordan, editor of American Fitness, the official publication of the Aerobics & Fitness Association of America (AFAA)--which, along with the International Fitness Assn. (IFA), now offers cardio kickboxing instructor-certification programs in an effort to make classes safer. Proper form is crucial to avoiding injury. So look for an instructor who focuses on stance and body alignment. ''You'd like someone who has martial arts as well as aerobics training,'' says Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, a Havertown (Pa.) orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. AFAA's Jordan says the best teachers go around the room correcting participants' positions. And they don't choreograph routines that require you to repeat moves more than 12 times in succession. When you start cardio kickboxing, take a beginner class that drills you on the basics in slow motion. Even if you are in great shape, martial arts movements, particularly when done to a disco beat, are tricky for novices, says DiNubile, who is a black belt in kung fu. Jumping in at too high a level is asking for muscle strain or torn ligaments. When punching and kicking, make sure you don't snap or overextend your joints. And if it hurts, stop. ''You should only participate to the degree that you comfortably can,'' says Marty Cale, owner of the Arkansas College of Martial Arts, where Wingate works out. It takes years of training and discipline to advance in traditional martial arts, so don't expect to do every move from the get-go. You're more likely to get a kick out of it if you progress slowly. By KATE MURPHY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP					RELATED ITEMS Kung Fu Meets Jazzercise TABLE: Just for Kicks INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online

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