Whenever we mention boxing fitness to a client you can see the reaction on their face, they instinctively think it’s going to involve taking punches to the body like a Rocky vs Drago classic. The truth is boxing has made its way into most gyms as a great way to improve many aspects of your fitness and the best thing is it doesn’t require getting punched in the face to participate.
Cardiovascular Fitness With Punch
It’s common knowledge that being more active reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and the most common form of ‘cardio’ is running. Having worked predominantly with the over 30 population, especially those who have lived a sedentary lifestyle or have poor health and fitness, most either can’t run due to past injuries or their body is not ready to run just yet.
Boxing classes are a great way to improve cardiovascular fitness which can be understood as subjecting the heart to stress where there is an increased demand for blood supply. As we subject the body to this form of cardiovascular exercise the heart is forced to adapt, improving its ability to cope under stress which ultimately helps you in all aspects of life.
Strength and Speed Equals Power
The first thing people think of when they hear the word strength is being able to lift something heavy and while that does take incredible strength, boxing fitness classes require their own unique elements of strength. Boxing uses ‘rate of force’ to improve a person’s punch power, which is different from being able to deadlift heavy weights off the ground.
At Authentic Health, we incorporate functional-based strength exercises and core fitness, as well as teaching basic punch techniques. This helps increase a person’s ability to create maximum force through physiological improvements in strength and speed.
Balance, Coordination, and Posture
It’s well documented that one of the leading causes of death as we age is falling, but could this be reduced through staying more active throughout our adult years? We believe so.
Today many of us spend over 8 hours a day sitting in a chair and then wonder why we don’t have the energy to play with our children and live life to the fullest. Boxing not only teaches you how to throw a mean punch but also teaches you how to move your feet in the same way you’d learn to dance, exposing you to many different postures as you learn to duck and weave.
If being a functionally fit healthy adult is high on your list of priorities then boxing, or even incorporating boxing into your HIIT workout, is a great tool to add to your total body fitness toolkit.
Caloric Control for Weight Loss
After completing 30 minutes of boxing, clients are amazed at how many calories they have burned throughout the workout. Anyone trying to lose weight knows that creating a caloric deficit is essential, so why not incorporate a couple of weekly boxing sessions to enhance your overall physical fitness.
An average of 30 minutes boxing in an 83 kilogram person burns through 378 calories. Compared to other forms of exercise such as running (336 calories), yoga (168 calories), or strength training (126 calories), there is no doubt that boxing has the calorie-burning edge.
Energy, Mood, and Mental Health Management
We often hear people say things like ‘I will get started when I have more energy’ but did you know starting is the very thing that is going to give you more energy, lift your mood and even improve your mental wellbeing?
The key to starting is to have a coach who listens and understands where you are starting from. A smart coach will nurture you through the early stages of your training knowing that getting the right intensity and duration for each person is essential in order for them to build a fitness base. This improves the amount of energy available to them and has a flow-on effect with their mood and mental health.
While boxing is not for everyone, we are big believers that if you want to improve your fitness and reap any of the benefits listed above you should give boxing a go either 1:1 or in a semi-private training environment. Boxing is not a repetitive activity like the treadmill; you are constantly moving, accelerating, balancing, defending, and strategising. You are engaging at every level. You never know, it might be the very form of exercise that changes your life.
