Jump Slowly Onto the Tae-Bo Bandwagon

Back in the early 1980s, before the era of CDs, the record industry was in a big slump. You could roll a bowling ball down the aisle of most record stores and not hit a soul. Then Michael Jackson released “Thriller.” Almost overnight, the stores were again filled with motivated shoppers who bought not only Jackson’s album but others as well. Record sales soared.

I reflect back on that phenomenon whenever I see one of Billy Blanks’ infomercials. Billy, a seven-time martial arts champion, is the inventor of what he calls Tae-Bo, a type of exercise that blends music with martial arts, boxing and kick boxing. Tae-Bo, it seems, is the hottest thing around since, well, “Thriller.” And best of all, it’s having much of the same effect on fitness, by bringing new devotees into the exercise realm.

Having boxed for years, as well as participated in martial arts, I decided to take some kick boxing classes from another master of the genre, Keith Cooke. I loved it, and I plan to continue doing it, but I don’t mind admitting that I found it to be an incredibly strenuous workout. For the first two weeks, every muscle ached and my back felt miserable--and I’m in excellent shape. I began to wonder whether kick boxing is more of a workout than many people might be able to handle.

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Most people consider kick boxing to be just a higher-level aerobics class. We see footage of all those exercisers in a class setting, performing movements to energetic music, and we’re eager to get the same kind of workout. Wrong, wrong, wrong! The bodily stresses and strains from kick boxing are much more severe than from aerobics.

What tends to happen is that newcomers go at it too hard and too fast--pushed by the music, the sweat, and the competition to punch and kick as though they were Bruce Lee incarnate. And while they may be getting a great workout--as measured by buckets of sweat--they’re, unfortunately, putting too much stress on their joints and surrounding tissue. That pressure can lead to injuries.

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A few classes or even a few weeks’ worth of classes are not enough to get your body ready to perform the high kicks and full punches that kick boxing proponents are so good at. That’s because the muscles around your joints aren’t yet conditioned well enough to support the enormous torque required. Those who have been sedentary, especially if they’re over 30 or overweight, should proceed slowly and cautiously for at least eight weeks (at two sessions a week). Here’s what I mean:

* Don’t perform any full-body twists, which can seriously strain your muscles and skeletal structure. Even if you’ve done aerobics for years, nothing in those classes can prepare you for the sharp turning of the torso that kick boxing demands.

* Don’t kick above knee level, which can pull hamstrings and even throw out your back.

* Don’t spend longer than 20 minutes per class on kicking.

* Don’t fully extend any punches or kicks. The reason is that expert kick boxers kick and punch against a bag, thus putting a natural governor on the movements, stopping the punches and kicks before the snap. It’s the snap that’s dangerous. Picture the medieval rack, and what it did to its victims’ joints, and you begin to appreciate the potential damage to unconditioned kick boxers.

Whether you’re new to this style of workout or are a veteran, it’s critically important to stretch thoroughly before kick boxing classes. The kicks, punches and full twists required are much more forceful than what you’re used to in daily life. Your body needs to be warm and supple.

For all of these reasons, it’s important to find a kick boxing program that has a beginner’s level. If the program you’re in, or are contemplating being in, doesn’t have one, find a new program or you’ll risk injury.

Myself, I’m having a ball with kick boxing and am thrilled that Billy Blanks’ ingenuity has added another workout to our menu of fitness choices. Sometimes it takes a good kick--in the rear--to get us going.

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Copyright 1999 by Kathy Smith

Kathy Smith’s fitness column appears weekly in Health. Reader questions are welcome and can be sent to Kathy Smith, Health, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. If your question is selected, you will receive a free copy of her book “Getting Better All the Time.” Please include your name, address and a daytime phone number with your question.