Performing any type of cardio (cardiovascular training)—will improve your physical health and burn plenty of calories. The benefits of cardio have long been proven by medical publications. This article will go over them and examine the link between boxing and cardiovascular exercise.
Boxing is considered a cardio workout because it answers the criteria of a cardio workout: hence, it elevates your heart rate and increases your blood flow. As a result, it demands elevated oxygen flow, requiring you to breathe faster and harder. Other cardio exercises are running, dancing, and swimming.
According to a study conducted on the effects and benefits of cardiovascular exercise: “Physically active individuals have lower blood pressure, higher insulin sensitivity, and a more favorable plasma lipoprotein profile.”
Boxing will provide more benefits than that, however. Your entire physical condition will improve as a result of dedicated and consistent box training.
You can see it’s the case, especially with professional boxers. Just look at some of their running race results, and you’ll see that they’re in elite aerobic shapes. They’re capable of finishing races in superb results. I wrote an entire article on how fast do professional boxers run. Follow the link to see their results.
Is boxing cardio or HIIT?
Cardio and HIIT are both suitable ways to shed excess body fat and improve your physical shape. It’s not a myth that active people are less likely to experience cardiovascular issues. Martial arts, and boxing in particular, can be a fantastic workout. Let’s see whether it’s High intensity interval training, or cardiovascular training.
Boxing is a combination of cardio and HIIT (high intensity interval training). It’s cardio because some parts of it will work on your aerobic shape, which works, for instance, while running long distances. Likewise, some of it will be much more intense and work your aerobic shape, known as HIIT workouts.
So yes, boxing involves both your aerobic and anaerobic shape. That’s why professional boxers train both long distance running and sprints. While both will better your physical condition and well-being, they’ll both boost your boxing capability.
Sticking in the ring for 12 rounds in a row—is extremely hard. You won’t understand how tough it is until you’re filled with pain, blood, and sweat just before the 9th round. Once you reach that point, you’ll understand why you must have a solid basis for your physical condition.
If you want to know how long do professional boxers train before their first fight, follow the link to read an article where I reveal the answer.
How much of boxing is cardio?
Boxing is definitely a cardio workout. If you have ever step foot inside the ring, you’ll know how difficult it can get to finish an hour-long, vigorous session. You’ll feel the fatigue the minute you enter the locker room. That’s why you’ll be bettering your physical shape after every box session.
Boxing is a combination of cardio and HIIT, with around a third of it being cardio and two thirds being HIIT. That’s why you’ll burn plenty of calories, sometimes up to a 1000 per hour from it, especially when you’re in an advanced group, where the coach won’t be afraid to push your physical boundaries.
The benefits of intense boxing training are truly fantastic, particularly because it’s both HIIT and cardio. You’ll be enjoying both worlds while actually having fun learning and practicing what you just learn.
Of course, don’t expect it to go smoothly, as it won’t. The training itself will get tough 5 minutes into the workout. But really, over time, you’ll notice your physical condition both changing and improving with your mental self.
The correlation of your mental and physical health—is powerful. Various studies have proved this link to be true and strong. For that reason, you can expect both your mental and physical health to improve if you consistently show up to training.
If you want to read about the mental benefits of boxing, do follow the link to an article of mine listing them down.
Will boxing get you in shape?
Getting in shape—is a highly desirable trait these days. In today’s society, doing so is especially hard because of all the distractions surrounding us. Let’s just say that you’re not as likely to first be excited to go for an intense boxing session. However, with time, you’ll start to enjoy the process of getting in better and better shape.
Boxing will get you in shape because it’s an intense workout that elevates your heart rate and blood flow in the body. As a result, your endurance, aerobic shape, and anaerobic shape—will all improve when you consistently box. Likewise, it burns plenty of calories, eventually helping you burn body fat.
You’ll immediately feel your breathing getting harder and faster when entering the boxing gym. Once you start punching the heavy bag, for instance, your heart rate will rise, together with your blood flow and need for oxygen. That’s why you’ll also burn plenty of calories.
Likewise, you’ll be using most big muscle groups in your body when boxing. For instance, you’ll be using your shoulders, legs (hamstrings and quads), arms (triceps and biceps), back, and even your chest. As a result, you’ll also burn plenty of calories and sweat much more than if you were to do another cardio exercise.
Boxing training (HIIT) in adults with abdominal obesity is feasible and may elicit a better therapeutic effect on obesity, cardiovascular, and HRQoL
SOURCE
If you want to learn more about the different muscles that you use while punching, follow the link to an article of mine on the topic.
Is boxing strength or cardio?
Strength workouts are known for their resistance. You’re likely familiar with resistance training, which utilizes weights and performing different motions with them. This perfectly describes the concept of strength workout. Eventually, as the name suggests, they improve your strength capability.
Boxing is definitely more cardio than strength, as the punching motion includes low resistance, if any. Weightlifting, for instance, has more resistance than any other workout. As a result, it’s more strength than cardio. Running, however, doesn’t include resistance and that’s why it’s cardio and not strength.
Can you replace cardio with boxing?
The beauty of boxing is that it has numerous benefits to a normal workout, such as running, swimming, or cycling. The fact of the matter is, it’s both aerobic and anaerobic shape. As a result, you’ll be enjoying the benefits of both worlds while having tons of fun in the workout itself.
You can replace cardio with boxing, as it’ll help you burn plenty of calories, up to 800 calories per hour. Such a number, even if only weekly, can be enough to help sustain a weight loss journey. Likewise, boxing is also a HIIT workout, a much more intense workout that will help you burn more calories.
Boxing will also help you in your fitness journey. Regardless if you want to build muscle, maintain, or increase your muscle mass, it’ll be best if you sweat and remain active. That will ensure both your short and long-term health.
For instance, people tend to lose themselves when bulking. Suddenly, they can eat whatever they want and don’t really have to workout that often. That’s why many people, who try to increase their muscle, end up growing their body fat. Such a result is counterproductive and is the reason you should always remain active.
The benefits of cardio can really be life changing, here are some of them:
- Increase in exercise tolerance.
- Reduction in body weight.
- Reduction in blood pressure.
- Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol.
- Increase in good (HDL) cholesterol.
- Increase in insulin sensitivity.
Final words
Boxing is one of the best cardio and HIIT workouts out there, as it combines both to ensure its trainees enjoy many benefits. Likewise, it’s much more fun than most other exercises out there, such as running, cycling, swimming, and even other sports.
You’ll get to experience contact martial arts while promoting your physical and mental health. Eventually, it can aid you in your journey toward staying healthy and even losing body fat in the process.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you’ll also enjoy reading about whether boxing builds muscle. If you want to know whether it’s possible, follow the link.