If you feel like you're watching too much Netflix and not doing enough home workouts – especially as we're all staying inside more as a result of the global health crisis – we've found you a way to do both. Netflix has released a brand new home workout both online and on its streaming service, to celebrate the release of Cobra Kai season three, the immensely popular Karate Kid spin-off.
Remember Tae Bo? The home workout video craze swept the world in the 1990s, getting millions of people punching and kicking in their front rooms. It was developed by Taekwondo expert Billy Blanks, who combined his martial arts move with dance music and fitness instruction to make it an extremely popular fitness trend.
The video shows Blanks in the famous Cobra Kai dojo, demonstrating his 40-minute workout so you can follow along. You just need some comfortable clothes and a set of the best adjustable dumbbells. Don't have Netflix? You can watch it all below:
Home workout: Watch the Cobra Kai exercise video for free right here
Why do this home workout?
Blanks' approach to fitness might seem very "eighties" compared to a modern-day aerobics class, but that's part of the fun. Using dumbbells to make it harder to shadowbox, as Blanks does later in the video, is a great tool for weight loss as well as developing muscle tone.
A study published by the Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences found adults who used dumbbells to work out three times a week had a "significant" reduction in their BMI, or body mass index. When shadowboxing in this way, it's a perfect tool if you're searching how to lose weight on your arms, burning fat and building muscle to create firmness out of unwanted flab.
Blanks' use of high kicks and dynamic warm-ups also encourages flexibility, which will benefit enormously in both keeping you mobile at any age and guarding your body against injury. At 65 years of age, Blanks can still deliver those high kicks thanks to his many years of martial arts practice.
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Get Fit for 2021 with Fit&Well
As the sun rises on a brand new year, Fit&Well is here to help put last year behind you and make 2021 your happiest, healthiest yet. Here at fitandwell.com, we’ll be bringing you a wealth of workouts, diet plans and expert advice throughout January to help kick-start your health and fitness goals.
Matt Evans is an experienced health and fitness journalist and Staff Writer at Fit&Well. He's previously written for titles like Men's Health, and covers all things exercise and nutrition on the Fit&Well website.
Matt originally discovered exercise through martial arts: he holds a black belt in Karate and remains a keen kickboxer and runner. His top fitness tip? Stretch.
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