Before we dive into making your cardio workouts as effective as possible, we’re breaking down the what of cardio. “Cardio,” as it’s commonly referred to, is an exercise that elevates your heart rate and stimulates the cardiovascular system. Think of the heart similarly to other muscles in your body. The more you work it, the stronger it gets, which makes it easier to pump blood through the body.
The benefits of cardio are endless. Seriously! When added into your routine and done consistently, cardio can affect many aspects of your life. Many people do cardio to burn calories which makes it easier to lose weight and create a calorie deficit. However, this is just scratching the surface of the ways cardio benefits your body. Better sleep, stress reduction, improved mental health, cardio really does it all.
But for some, the mention of cardio is an instant turn-off. We’re here to help you find ways to get your cardio in, make it count and enjoy it! Read on and then pencil yourself in for some quality cardio time. Get moving!
Find What Works Best for You
Running, jogging, biking, swimming, walking, strength training, hiking, or rowing can all be extremely effective cardio workouts. Start by choosing something that interests you the most or what you have the most experience doing. Once you get into a routine and are feeling good, try to experiment with other forms of cardio to mix it up!
Intensity Is Everything
When doing cardio, heart rate is the most commonly used metric to gauge your intensity. The harder your body is working, the more oxygen-rich blood your body needs. Your heart is the muscle responsible for distributing that blood through the body. If you work harder and need more oxygen, your heart rate will elevate to make sure your body gets what it needs. Intensity also allows us to personalize workouts even further to maximize results.
Go Harder and Recover
Instead of exercising at a steady rate for 30 minutes, try opting for 20 minutes of higher intensity intervals with rest in between sets. This allows the heart rate to elevate and slightly recover before completing the next interval, think HIIT-style workouts. High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, is designed to efficiently work your body and heart in shorter amounts of time than traditional cardio training. Intervals can be applied to almost any type of cardiovascular exercise. And no matter what type of cardio you choose, working in intervals is a great way to maximize your cardio workouts and get the most cardio bang for your buck.
