Monday, January 9, 2012

Benefits of Treadmill and Boxing Workouts

Cardiovascular exercise should be a staple in the routine of any fitness enthusiast. It burns calories, builds work capacity and keeps the heart healthy. Luckily, there are several different ways to perform cardio. Boxing and treadmill running--both types of cardio--provide some similar benefits and some that are different.
Boxing Benefits
Boxing isn't only a sport. It's a very effective type of cardiovascular exercise. It requires core strength, upper body strength and excellent footwork. Fortunately for the non-competitive fitness enthusiast, boxing can be performed by yourself with only the aid of a punching bag. Some of the staple movements--jab, hook and upper cut--take little time to learn. Boxing builds core and upper body strength. As opposed to work on the treadmill, boxing is typically performed in short intervals at a high intensity.
Boxing Drawbacks
Because boxing does require a base level of core and upper body strength, it isn't suitable for everyone. Beginners to exercise should avoid this type of cardio until a solid base of strength and endurance has been built. Although some version of the staple movements may definitely be self-taught, you put yourself at a higher risk for injury. Without a hands-on coach, picking up bad movement habits is easy.
Treadmill Benefits
The treadmill is easily the most convenient outlet for cardiovascular exercise. With the setup of today's gyms, you can even watch television while performing your workout. In addition, treadmill workouts require very little of the body. All of the movement occurring is controlled, as is the surface on which you run. One distinct advantage of the treadmill is its adaptability in relation to intensity of exercise. You can easily perform both low- and high-intensity exercise on the treadmill, as opposed to the high-intensity nature of boxing.
Treadmill Drawbacks
The convenience provided by the treadmill comes with a rather steep price for many. Although television and music certainly help, boredom sets in quickly while exercising on the treadmill. There's no change in scenery or movement. For the predetermined exercise time, you're stuck looking at the same surroundings and moving in the same manner.
Both boxing and treadmill exercising have their ups and downs. Boxing provides a more dynamic and high-intensity approach to exercise, while treadmill exercise allows for convenient and low-intensity movement. The ideal workout program contains a mixture of both low- and high-intensity cardiovascular exercise. Rather than ignoring one of these methods entirely, use them both periodically.
