Combining martial arts techniques and heart-pumping cardio, kickboxing is a high-energy workout that is guaranteed to burn calories and fat.

“It’s an incredibly efficient workout. Kickboxing alone burns about 750 calories in an hour,” says Sammie Kennedy, CEO and creator of Femme Fitale, Ontario’s newest women’s-only kickboxing and mixed martial arts program (MMA). “Add in jump rope and conditioning drills, and you could burn anywhere from 750 to 900 calories in an hour.”

The cardio-conditioning element of kickboxing is one of the most effective ways to burn fat—especially that stubborn belly fat that's associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer. A study published in the American Journal of Physiology found aerobic exercise to be better at reducing belly fat than resistance training, by burning an average of 67 percent more calories.