5 Reasons Why Boxing Is a Good Way to Lose Weight
If you’ve ever tuned in to watch a professional fight you’ll see that these pro boxers—some of the most in-shape athletes in the world—are out of breath after only a few rounds in the ring. That’s because boxing is a mix of both cardio and strength training all in one, making it the ultimate combo for your health and weight loss goals.
With cardio, you’re elevating your heart rate as you sweat off the calories. With strength training, you’re building up your muscle mass and metabolism. So if weight loss is one of your fitness goals, then it’s time to step into the ring. Here’s why:
1. It’s the ultimate cardio workout
A cardiovascular or cardio workout is any moderate or vigorous-intensity workout that gets your heart rate pumping and raises your oxygen and blood flow throughout the body. It’s a must-have for any workout routine, especially if you’re hoping to lose weight. That’s because it gets your body moving, sweating, and burning both fat and calories.
If you’ve ever stepped in the ring with Litesport you know that boxing is the ultimate form of cardio. You’re always moving when you’re boxing, whether you’re throwing punches, bobbing and weaving, or doing strength conditioning.
But cardio workouts aren’t just about maximizing your calorie-burning and weight loss potential. More importantly, regular cardiovascular exercise can help strengthen your heart and lungs as your body learns how to efficiently increase your oxygen input and blood flow.
The stronger your heart and lungs get through exercise, the more efficiently they can deliver oxygen and blood throughout your body. This helps decrease your risk of stroke and heart disease, control your blood pressure, and strengthen your bones and muscles, among many other potential benefits.
This is why the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week. That’s equivalent to just three 30-minute Litesport classes!
2. It a full-body workout
Boxing is more than a cardio workout, it’s a full-body strength challenge that builds muscle all over, not just in your arms.
When you throw a punch, the force of your impact comes not only from your arms and shoulders but from your legs hip, core, back, and glute muscles. Your legs power your movement, your hips rotate to deliver explosive power, and your core and glute muscles maintain your boxing foundation.
In your defensive moves, you also need glute, core, and leg strength as you bob, weave, and stay low. While constantly moving and staying light on your feet, you’ll be building lower body strength and holding that core nice and tight in your boxer stance.
With our Strength Classes, you can build even more power and strength in the ring with options to focus on total body strength training. This focus on strength-building in combination with cardio increases the intensity of your workout, making it easier for you to both lose weight and build strength.
3. It’s a major calorie burner
All of this full-body cardio movement and strength training has the potential to burn a ton of calories. According to Valdosta State University, boxing can burn anywhere between 354 to 558 calories per hour depending on your weight. And the calorie-burning doesn’t stop once you finish.
With a high-intensity workout like boxing, your body could experience something called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). This is when your metabolism stays elevated and continues to burn calories even after you finish working out as your body is still working hard to repair muscle tissue and bring your body’s function back to normal. All of that requires energy in the form of calories.
Don’t forget about a healthy diet!
There’s more to weight loss and feeling healthy than burning calories. As the saying goes, you can’t outrun a bad diet. Or in our case, you can’t out-box a bad diet. The real key is enjoying a nutritious diet of complex carbs, healthy fats, protein, and fiber alongside a regular exercise routine. By combining a high-calorie-burning workout like boxing with a healthy diet, you can help create a better balance between the calories you’re consuming and the calories you’re using.
For more information on what makes up a healthy diet check out the USDA’s 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. And head to our blog on best practices for what to eat before and after your workout.
4. It builds muscle and increases your resting metabolic rate
While it’s helpful to look at how many calories you burn during exercise, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
50-80% of your total daily energy use comes from your resting metabolic rate, or how much energy your body uses at rest. The higher your resting metabolic rate, the more efficiently your body burns calories.
So, how can you boost your resting metabolic rate? One way to do that is to increase your muscle mass. Muscle requires a lot more energy to maintain than fat does. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’re burning as you rest.
By incorporating strength-building into your workout routine, you can help your body become a more efficient calorie-burning machine. While it’s great that boxing could help you burn hundreds of calories during your workout, the real calorie-burning potential comes from the full-body muscle tissue you’re building every time you step into the ring.
You don’t need to box for years to experience a change in your metabolism! Even a little bit of muscle growth can go a long way in helping you burn more calories.
5. It’s a fun way to workout
One of the most important aspects of a workout routine is consistency. You’ll only see results when you put in the work. This is why your workout needs to be fun. You’re less likely to give up on your goals if you look forward to working out. When it feels like a chore, the excuses have a way of piling up.
One look at Litesport lets you know we’re not another boring workout. We’ve taken the best parts of boxing and paired them with an interactive and beat-driven digital experience. We combine hardware, game dynamics, hit music, and expert training all into one high-intensity workout that’s as fun as playing a video game.
When it feels like you’re playing a video game instead of working out, it’ll make progress towards your weight loss goals (or any fitness goal!) that much easier.
It’s about more than just weight loss
Yes, boxing can help you lose weight. Especially a workout like Litesport that takes boxing to a whole new level. But more importantly, cardio and strength training are great for your overall health, both physical and mental.
Boxing it out in the ring boosts your confidence, reduces your stress levels, improves your sleep, and enhances your mental functioning. It also improves your cardiovascular health, reducing your risk for some serious health concerns!
That’s why for us, boxing with Litesport is about way more than weight loss. It’s about taking care of your body, feeling strong and confident, punching away your stress, building community, and losing yourself in the music. Because when you feel good, you look good. That’s what matters, not the number on the scale.
When you feel good in your body, this helps open the door for all the other things you want to do in your life. The possibilities are endless for what you can accomplish with better mental and physical health.
“Boxing is the one sport where EVERY single time I enter a training or sparring session I feel as if I learn more about myself in the ring than I have outside. Boxing challenges you mentally, physically, and emotionally which has helped me discover clarity in the hardest of times. Sometimes all it takes is to believe in yourself in life, and I can say for a fact that boxing can elevate you one punch at a time.”
Glove up and challenge yourself to an experience that’s more than just a workout. With Litesport, you can give yourself the strength, endurance, and confidence you need to fight whatever life throws your way.
Sources
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/aerobic-exercise/art-20045541
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/head-toe-benefits-cardio-workout-infographic/
https://blog.nasm.org/excess-post-exercise-oxygen-consumption
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/metabolism
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/get-more-burn-from-your-workout#1
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html