Feature: Cardio kickbox at Goldring

I’ve never really participated in a group fitness class that wasn’t a quiet, restorative yoga session. As such, I had no idea what to expect from the “Cardio Kickbox” drop-in fitness class offered at the Goldring Centre. I came into the class without expectations, exhausted after a long day on campus, and somehow I walked out energized and uplifted.

I was inspired to check out the class given the rise in popularity of kickboxing in my social circles lately. Everyone seems to want to kickbox. The curious chameleon that I am, I wanted to know what the fuss was about - I had no idea what kickboxing was before Tuesday’s class. Madelin runs the class from 6:10 to 6:55 p.m. every Tuesday for the next five weeks, giving you plenty of time to check it out before the break. Does the name ring a bell? You might recall Madelin was one of our bloggers last year! Having said that, I promise you can count on this being a completely unbiased review:

She did a fantastic job! Madelin kept everyone’s heart rate up sure, but she also kept the positive energy way, way up over the course of the entire 45 minutes. You can’t not smile to yourself at the way Madelin leads this class. You’ll also probably feel a little silly. It was my first time there, I had no experience and no knowledge of what I would be expected to do. It’s a fast-paced class and personally, I find I process information at a slower rate than many of my peers. That being said, naturally, I made mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes actually – and that was okay! I laughed at myself and shrugged it off, joining back in with the group and the music as soon as I could. There were a few regulars there, as I understand, and they had clearly gotten the hang of it over time, as I’m sure I would be able to as well. The class consisted of upper body, lower body and core conditioning to the tune of some great music and with brief intermissions for water and catching your breath. I found it to be the perfect pace as far as getting my heart rate and energy up without making me want to go straight to sleep afterward. In fact, I went to Woodsworth College next door and got some studying in. Woo! Did I feel accomplished? You bet! I can totally see myself making Cardio Kickbox a part of my weekly routine. It was a blast and a fantastic way to break up my studying, re-energize and refocus. Judging by the turnout to the class this week, many of you already know this – yay!

If you’ve not yet experienced the exciting workout that is kickboxing, I definitely recommend it. If you’re finding it a little intimidating, rest assured that everyone is there to have some fun, take a break and break a sweat. No one is concerned with whether they’re doing it exactly right and Madelin reminds the group often that “It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, just keep moving!” You won’t regret giving it a chance! See you there!