The Calories Burned From Ten Minutes on a Punching Bag

In some monotonous workouts, thinking about the calories you're burning can help pass the time. In boxing, however, leave your calorie-centric thoughts at the door of the gym. A boxing workout in which you hit the punching bag is an effective way to burn calories to improve your physical fitness, but once you've wrapped your hands and slipped on your gloves, shift your attention solely to your technique.

Hitting the punching bag, which is also known as a heavy bag, is a key part of any boxer's workout. Sparring with an opponent or hitting your trainer's focus pads might be more entertaining, but working the heavy bag allows you to perfect your fundamentals, speed and power -- all while you burn calories. HealthStatus notes a 155-pound person will burn 69 calories in 10 minutes of using a punching bag and a 185-pound person will burn 83 calories in the same workout.

Spending just 10 minutes hitting the punching bag won't burn a considerable number of calories, nor will it noticeably help you improve your fundamentals. You'll refine your stance, striking and movement only through repeated dedication to hitting the punching bag and performing other boxing drills. A typical boxing workout includes six to eight three-minute rounds of hitting the punching bag with one-minute breaks between each round.

Visit any boxing gym and you'll see people performing two types of punching bag workouts. Some people take a lackadaisical approach, standing still and throwing weak punches, while others keep their feet moving and throw frequent combinations of hard punches. The latter approach is the most effective way to burn calories while hitting the heavy bag and it also simulates fighting an opponent, which helps you prepare for your first sparring session. Regardless of your boxing goals, keep your tempo elevated while you hit the punching bag.

If you've pursued boxing with the intention of burning calories to burn fat, hitting the punching bag isn't the only way you can build a healthier body. A typical boxing workout includes jogging, calisthenics such as jumping jacks and sparring, each of which burns calories rapidly. For example, HealthStatus notes a 155-pound person will burn 423 calories in 30 minutes of sparring drills, while a 185-pound person will burn 505 calories during the same workout.