El Paso, TX (KFOX14/CBS4) — Six weeks of boxing training may do more than sharpen a jab — it can also lower blood pressure, according to a new study led by Dr. Al Gurovich, a professor at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Gurovich said the goal of the research was to test whether intermittent, high-intensity exercise in the form of boxing could improve cardiovascular health. “The idea was to show that intermittent and high intensity exercise, in the form of boxing, was good for the cardiovascular system in many levels,” he said.
The study had participants complete a six-week boxing training regimen that increased in intensity each week. The results showed the training camp decreased blood pressure and, according to the study summary shared in the segment, “actually did an even better job at decreasing blood pressure than medicine.”
ARC El Paso Anchor, Christian “Churro” Andrade, is a boxer. He says boxing is good for his mental and physical health, and he doesn’t know where he’d be without it. (Christian Andrade)
Gurovich said the findings stood out because boxing is often viewed as too intense for general fitness programs. “We were very impressed and very happy with that, that an activity that especially here in El Paso is that is so community driven, can help even better than medicine if you do it by four, six weeks,” he said.
He also emphasized that boxing isn’t the only way to see improvements. “Most of exercise training programs will decrease blood pressure,” Gurovich said. But he added that the study addressed concerns among some health professionals about recommending boxing. “A lot of physicians or physical therapists don’t like to prescribe boxing because they think that is too much intensity and it’s a high impact exercise,” he said. “And we were able to show that, no, it’s an exercise that also produced the same benefits.”
Gurovich also warned that high blood pressure can be difficult to detect without screening. “Yeah, the blood pressure is called a silent killer because there is really low symptoms when you have high blood pressure,” he said. “They have no symptoms. They don’t have anything that is happening. However, the heart is working harder.”
The segment also highlighted local boxers who described health and fitness benefits they’ve experienced through the sport.
Kayla “The Truth” Gomez, identified as a professional boxer and an 18-time national champion, said she grew up around boxing. “Basically like all of my family were just like fighters,” she said. Gomez also said boxing helped after she recently had a child. “I just had a baby recently so it helps you lose weight,” she said.
El Pasoan Kayla “The Truth” Gomez is now a professional boxer. This picture displays her many accolades as an amateur. (Kayla Gomez)
Dan “The Problem” Brown, identified as a four-time national champion, said he started boxing at 21 and credited the sport with major weight loss. “I mean, I went from before I started boxing, being like 245, 250, to like then fighting at 185,” Brown said.
Brown said high blood pressure and diabetes run in his family and that doctors had long warned him about his weight. “It was definitely something that I was having to worry more about as I was getting older,” he said. “’Cause it kind of runs in my family, high blood pressure and then also diabetes. I’ve been kind of bigger since I was a little kid. So like the doctors are always saying, yo, you’re gonna have to watch your weight, watch your weight.”
Dan “The Problem” Brown is a 4x National Champion. He says there is no sport as good as boxing for getting in shape. (Dan Brown)
He also described boxing as an efficient full-body workout. “You know, especially when you first start, like a half an hour boxing workout, you can feel like you’re getting a better sweat than you being in the gym for two, three hours,” Brown said. “’Cause it’s using, it’s like you’re doing a strength workout and a conditioning. ‘Cause you know, you’re punching, so it’s like weights almost by hitting the bag, but also cardio at the same time. So it’s like both all mixed up into one. Yeah, your feet, your hands, your brain, you gotta look at stuff coming back at you, so it’s a full body, full brain, everything work out.”
Beyond physical conditioning, Gurovich said participants reported mental health benefits as well. “Also, it’s stress relief,” he said. “I mean, all our participants were saying they feel way better with the stress relief after hitting the back. It’s really stress reliever.”
Gomez echoed that idea, describing boxing as an outlet for people dealing with stress, anger or depression. “I feel like doing boxing will help alleviate that stress,” she said.
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