Tae Bo is a high-impact, cardiovascular workout that combines the moves of hip hop dance, ballet, boxing, yoga and various martial arts, particularly Tae Kwon Do and karate. The Tae Bo creator, Billy Blanks, chose the name because the Korean word "tae" means "foot and leg" and the word "bo" is a shorter form of the word box.
Origin
Billy Blanks first thought about Tae Bo workouts in the mid-1970s. Blanks, an award winning Tae Kwon Do and karate expert, was working out to the theme song from the movie "Rocky." He discovered he was fatigued after only a few minutes of performing kicks and throwing punches to the music. He decided that if this workout tired out someone who was physically fit, it would have to work wonders for people who wanted to get in shape.
History
Billy Blanks first offered Tae Bo classes in his Boston karate studio in 1982. Seven years later, he and his family moved to Los Angeles, and Blanks began offering workout classes out of his garage. According to his website, Blanks soon opened a fitness studio in Sherman Oaks, California. Celebrities and athletes began attending classes, and their endorsements helped the Tae Bo workout regimen become a fitness fad. Blanks released his first Tae Bo fitness video package about 1998.
Benefits
Tae Bo fitness workouts combine high-impact aerobic elements and martial arts movements designed to help you burn fat, build muscles and lose weight. Vanderbilt University reports that you can burn between 500 and 800 calories during each hour-long workout section. The kickboxing moves might also help you learn self-defense methods, while the dance steps and yoga moves should help you to increase your coordination and flexibility. According to the Billy Blanks website, Tae Bo workouts will also build your self-confidence by challenging you to push yourself further during workouts.
Warnings
According to Vanderbilt University, the American Council on Exercise warns that you need to be physically fit before you even start a Tae Bo exercise program. The Tae Bo workouts require participants to possess better than average strength, endurance and flexibility. Many Tae Bo beginners damage muscles and reduce their immune function by performing the moves incorrectly or by pushing themselves too hard. Take it slow for at least the first eight weeks of your Tae Bo workout program. Rethink doing Tae Bo workouts if you have serious health problems, carry a lot of extra pounds or are over 50 years of age.
Fun Facts
Billy Blanks won the Massachusetts Golden Gloves Championship back in 1984 and has earned black belts in six different kinds of martial arts. The Tae Bo fitness workout has earned positive press from Paula Abdul, Goldie Hawn, Magic Johnson, Lou Diamond Phillips and Shaquille O'Neal.
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