Break Out of That Cardio Rut | Boxing Cardio Explained

Let’s talk about cardio! What do you think of when you think “cardio?” Do you think of endless miles on the treadmill while watching HGTV? Do you think of pounding the pavement in the heat? Or maybe you get your cardio in with swimming or cycling.

Whatever your go-to cardio is, we’re here to tell you: it’s time to shake things up and kick your cardio into high-gear with simple and convenient at-home boxing and kickboxing workouts!

What Is “Good” Cardio?

According to the Mayo Clinic, the average adult should engage in at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week. (Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate and provides cardiovascular conditioning.) That’s 2.5 hours of cardio a week, or just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. We can do that!

But, in order for cardio to be effective, you need to get your heart rate up higher and higher, then bring it briefly back down to recover, before raising it again. Unless you’re incorporating interval training and sprint work into your running, swimming, or biking, you’re not achieving that crucial recovery in your cardio workouts. Running or jogging gets your heart rate high, but it keeps it there consistently, and over time, your body adjusts and your baseline heart rate drops, making it harder to push it again. This is why runners often experience plateaus in their training or weight loss goals.

Whether you love running or loathe it, breaking up your cardio routine with boxing can help keep your body on its toes and take your cardiovascular health to the next level. Here’s why boxing and kickboxing are the best (and most fun!) ways to vary up your cardio workouts…

Boxing Includes Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise

Boxing and kickboxing are by nature the ultimate interval workouts. Structured in 3- or 5-minute rounds, boxing and kickboxing workouts alternate between aerobic and anaerobic exercise. What does this mean? Rather than maintaining a high but steady heart rate (like with running), boxing and kickboxing keep you in an aerobic state for about ⅓ of the workout, and the rest of the time you are in an anaerobic state. This helps you increase your speed, power, and strength, and burn more calories even after you’re done working out.

Kickboxing Is A Full Body Workout

Whether you’re doing traditional boxing or kickboxing, you will be engaging your entire body. The power of your punches doesn’t come from just your arms – it comes from your legs and your core. Between jabs, hook shots, and kicks, you’ll engage a full range of motion, which means your muscles will move in dynamic ways (as opposed to the lateral movements of running, swimming, and biking). In addition to increased cardiovascular health, you’ll likely see an increase in your flexibility, as well.

With FightCamp’s at-home boxing and kickboxing workouts, you can pick from an ever-growing selection of workouts to focus on your specific goals. Want to work on your lower body? Check out this all-level lower body workout with FightCamp Trainer Shanie Smash! Or tone up those arms and shoulders with this upper body workout led by Flo Master.

Boxing Can Be Low-Impact

Incorporating cardio boxing workouts into your fitness routine will help strengthen your muscles from head to toe without putting too much pressure on your knees and other joints. Boxing can even be a great cardio workout for people who need to stick to low-impact movements. If you don’t want to hit a heavy bag (or just don’t have room for one in your home), shadowboxing is an equally effective cardio workout that can burn calories as well as increase speed and endurance without any impact on your joints.

Kick Boring Cardio To The Curb

Cardio shouldn’t be dull, miserable, or damaging to your body. Break up your routine (or start a new one!) with FightCamp’s at-home boxing workouts. Our trainer-led workouts will challenge you without hurting you, and if you think a runner’s high is addictive … wait until you experience the boxer’s high!

Train Like a Fighter

Take your workouts to the next level and train like a fighter with the at-home connected fitness solution used by world champion boxers Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather. FightCamp has everything you need to work out on your schedule, with premium boxing equipment and hundreds of on-demand strength, conditioning, kickboxing, boxing, core, and recovery classes led by real fighters.

As Mike Tyson said - “FightCamp is the next level of training!”