I recently became hooked on kickboxing. Its upbeat and physically demanding workout routine really gets the blood pumping. Not to mention the weight loss involved and definition of my muscle's with each class I take. Kickboxing is a great way to reduce body fat, tone and condition your body, increase strength, cardiovascular endurance, and self-esteem, teaches self defense, and relieves stress.
This type of workout also works to improve your strength and endurance, muscle tone, coordination, balance and flexibility, plus it constantly challenges the body. The estimated calorie burn depending on your body weight and intensity is between 350-500 calories for a 60-minute class. If you are a local New Yorker, Crunch offers classes for both kickboxing and cardio kickboxing. (Check their class finder for a Crunch gym in other cities.)
Here are some beginner tips I found to be quite helpful (and avoid those bad aches):