Box Your Way through Fitness

CEBU, Philippines - Fresh from his win, it’s no surprise that Filipinos are so amazed by Manny Pacquiao. Named the no.1 pound-for-pound king in the boxing world, Pacquiao can gain or lose weight to face any opponent in his way.

Ever wondered how a boxer loses and gains weight in such a short period of time? In a world where health is increasingly becoming the topmost priority, fitness trainers released millions of merchandise related to one tough sport.

Boxing trainer Phil Jumao-as promotes boxing as a fitness regimen. For 20 years, Jumao-as has been watching his grandfather train amateur boxers to reach their dream. He knew boxing is the key factor keeping his grandfather healthy.

“Boxing is a great way to get in shape emotionally, physically and mentally. It allows you to take out your aggressions while losing weight or gaining muscle,” stated Jumao-as.

Perfect for both men and women, boxing burns calories and creates lean muscle mass. Fitness trainers often describe boxing as a high intensity workout but always worth the work.

“People may use a heavy bag or speed bag during training. It improves your hand-eye coordination, lessens your weight and teaches you self defense. If you’re doing it right, you should feel a little lighter after a workout.”

Jumao-as recommends boxing to everyone who wants to improve his/her health. Aside from that, he makes sure that one will have a stronger body and a confident personality to back it up.

“There are a lot of benefits involved in the boxing workout. From endurance to agility, boxing defines overall fitness,” he adds.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, boxing burns a varying number of calories depending on the intensity of training. If you weigh 130 lbs., an hour on the punch bag would burn 354 calories. An hour’s worth of sparring with a partner is more intense and would burn 531; boxing in a ring during an actual fight would burn 708.