Best Tae Bo Workout

Tae Bo is an aerobic exercise routine developed by Tae Kwon Do practitioner Billy Blanks. The program uses martial arts at a fast pace designed to promote health and fitness. TAE BO is an acronym for Total Awareness Excellence Body Obedience. It has a similar routine to karate and Kick-Boxing, but is not intended for fighting.

The high-intensity workout has been shown to increase cardio fitness, strength, muscular endurance and flexibility. It focuses on all of the major muscle groups and challenges participants physically and mentally.


I have a Tae Bo DVD at home and have used it a few times in the last week. It’s a little difficult to start off, with all those quick moves – “left kick, step, step, right kick, punch, uppercut” – but Blanks has an instructional workout video for this reason (although I found it a bit slow and boring). After a while though, I seemed to master the technique somewhat and don’t seem as uncoordinated as I originally was.

I wouldn’t recommend this workout for anybody with any joint problems, especially the knees. There is a lot of twisting and kicking due to the natural fast pace of this routine. Nor would I recommend it for anybody who isn’t used to this level of fitness.

Considering all variables, I think the Tae Bo workout is fun and energising. It keeps your heart rate up (especially the “Tae Bo – Cardio” routine) and does aid with muscle development and flexibility. Although I think the stretching exercises commencing the video are taken too quickly, not giving participants a decent stretch for the twisting and jolting routine ahead (but it’s probably done this way to keep the pace up).

So warm up properly, don’t start off too hard, and you should have fun with this workout, and you’ll definitely feel it in your muscles the next day!