And let's not forget the sweat. It's pouring down by the bucket.
Sure, to the curious on-watcher, it would be difficult not to be swept up into the most publicized cardio craze to capture the nation in nearly two decades. Not only can cardio kickboxing pack a knockout punch for your fitness goals, but judging by the expressions on the faces of its participants, the activity is also a knee-slapping good time.
Millions across the country are getting a kick out of cardio kickboxing, whether it's in the form of the insanely popular Tae-Bo or some of the more general forms offered by local martial artists, fitness trainers, and boxing fanatics.
Not since Jane Fonda helped trigger the aerobics explosion in the 1980's has any form of cardiovascular fitness captivated the country so convincingly. It seems like cardio kickboxing classes are cropping up in every aerobics room, in every gym, in every city across America. The man behind most of this is Billy Blanks, the seven-time Martial Arts champion and the quick-kicking dynamo you'll see on the countless Tae-Bo infomercials.
A handful of Hollywood celebrities are swearing by it - guys like Sinbad, Shaqille O'Neal, and Magic Johnson. Gals like Pamela Anderson, Goldie Hawn, and Carmen Electra are saying much of the same.
But next time you're on your way out the gym door, stop and take a closer look in the aerobics room. You may even recognize a few faces.
After all, you don't need to be Van Damme to do it. You can simply be the guy next door.
Cardio kickboxing, like aerobics classes, is usually offered in three different forms of intensity: low-impact, moderate-impact, and high-impact. While the low-impact version is an excellent way to obtain flexibility and form, the intensity of the high-impact class is a tremendous method of losing weight and strengthening the heart.
After a few weeks of taking the classes, you're likely to build endurance, while improving your speed, power, and agility.
But the appeal in cardio kickboxing lies elsewhere. While benefiting from a fantastic sweat session, participants also learn the various punches and kicks that have derived from different Martial Arts forms. In other words, as much of a fitness class that it is, it is also a self-defense class.
Don't walk into a cardio kickboxing class and expect to emerge as Bruce Lee. This is merely a class engineered to combine self-defense techniques with cardiovascular workouts and add a much-needed ?kick? to your everyday workouts.
The most common testimony from participants generally revolves around two ideas. One is that cardio kickboxing is ideal in toning up the muscles, partiuclarly in the arms and legs, while getting you into top shape. And secondly, the kickboxing sessions, which many claim are indeed highly addictive, break up the monotony of those repetitive aerobics classes.
Above all, cardio kickboxing classes provide you in a shorter time with what hours of chugging along on the Stairmaster or stationary bike will. The full body workout ? the punches, the kicks, the non-stop pivoting and moving ? shoot by like a Jackie Chan movie. And you'll be equally exhausted when it's over.
Kitchens can become cluttered quite quickly. They hold the most appliances, have the most use, and nowadays, attract the most people. If your kitchen is serving as a family center, the need to organize it becomes even more important. You will want to keep a kitchen that organized your pantry goods, your tableware, your cooking utensils, and appliances. A good kitchen design is well worth the investment.
Pantries
To organize your foodstuff, you will want at least one good-sized pantry. If this is not enough, you may end up getting some additional cupboard space by buying a stand-alone pantry. Instead of just piling the cans in, you need to organize the pantry to find things when you need them and to understand when you are low on something.
A good way to divvy up the space is thus: canned vegetables, canned fruits, pastas, rice, and grains, sweeteners (sugar, honey, molasses, artificial sweeteners), jams, canned meats and tuna, dried foods, legumes, condiments, snacks. Imagine that your pantry is a miniature grocery store. The same way they categorize their foods is the same way you should categorize your pantry. Put the newest additions in the back and push older foodstuff forward. If you can't see everything, there are rectangular steps you can add to store at different heights.
Tableware
Hopefully, you have enough cabinet space to store your day-to-day dishes. If you have special festive plates or china, think about storing those outside your kitchen or hanging them on a wall for display. They shouldn't be crowding your kitchen cabinets. Store like with like. All glasses should be in one cupboard. All cups should be on another shelf in the same area. Silverware should always be stored in a wide drawer with a silverware caddy. It should be easy to reach from the counter or stove.
Cooking Utensils
Many people make the mistake of putting these in junk drawers. Kitchen utensils, like pots, can make a very decorative statement while being functional. Store them next to the stove in decorative cups or vases. If your cookware is very pretty or prestigious, think about hanging it from hooks along a wire mesh wall. Another way to display that cookware is on a hanging pot and pan rack.
Appliances
The key to storing appliances is not to have to many useless appliances in the first place. Not that many people are gourmet cooks who need a fondue pot or an espresso maker. Store the rest under your kitchen cabinets, in the spots that are hard to reach. That way you can make use of these places without having to reach into them everyday. Organizing your kitchen can be as traditional or as quirky as you want it to be. You can get magnetic borders and store your silverware in plain view, if that appeals to your sense of taste. You can install lazy Susans for ease of access. You can hide it all away, or you can bring it all out and make it a decorative feature. There are no rules for organizing your kitchen as long as it works for you and your family.
Both Melih Oztalay & Nancy Dean are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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