Do you enjoy “cardio”? Whether you love it or hate it, we need to talk about why it is good for you. And I promise there are plenty of ways to do it – you can find something you enjoy!
What do we mean by cardio?
What do you think of when I say “cardio fitness”? Chances are you’re thinking about running or cycling. Those certainly are examples but if you’re stuck in a rut of thinking cardio has to mean one-paced, sweaty training then it’s time for a rethink.
Cardio is short for cardiovascular (relating to the heart and blood vessels). When you focus on this definition, you can better understand the health benefits of cardio workouts. You can also better understand that “cardio” is anything that gets your heart rate up for a decent amount of time.
What are the health benefits of cardio?
Many people include cardio in their fat loss journey because it burns calories. This is true, but it’s not actually an optimal way to create a calorie deficit. If you rely on cardio to lose weight, you neglect the muscle-building benefits of resistance training, and you run the risk of “eating back” the calories you think you burned.
So let’s focus on more important, long-lasting health reasons to do it.
Regular cardio can help lower and control blood pressure, which has a huge impact on your future health, reducing your risk of heart disease and heart attack.
Cardiovascular training can play a significant role in reducing your risk of common diseases including type 2 diabetes and even some cancers.
When you find a form you enjoy, it’s a good way to manage stress, do something for yourself, and feel accomplished.
It can be social, too – team sports or outdoor cardio in particular is a great activity to do with friends or family.
And finally, regular cardio can help you fall into better sleep patterns, which will have an impact on your mood, fat loss, productivity and happiness.
How much of your fitness routine should be cardio
It can be tricky to find a good balance of fitness activities. In my Pyramid of Transformation, I set out the priorities of movement as agility/flexibility/mobility first, with cardio second, and resistance training and co-ordination work at the top of the Pyramid.
I lay it out this way because it is so important to general health and fitness, and helps you create a baseline to do your other sports and training.
But some people can be too devoted to it, to the detriment of the rest of the Pyramid!
Every client is different, but my general recommendation is to do some kind of cardio every day. This does not mean a full-on, heart pumping sweat session 7 days a week. It could be walking, team sports, soft play or anything else that gets your heart rate up. Dedicated cardio workouts (like running etc) might only be 1-3 of those sessions.
Do you have to do cardio as a workout?
You don’t have to ever go for a run or ride a bike if you don’t want to. There are so many ways to reap those heart-health benefits. It’s just a case of finding the form you really enjoy.
13 types of cardio that are fun
I encourage you to find at least one form of cardio that is so much fun you really don’t consider it a workout at all. For me that’s roller skating, playing squash, and soft play with my sons. It should never be something you don’t enjoy (what’s the point of that!)
Here are some ideas to try this summer:
1) Long walks
2) Outdoor team sports
3) Bootcamp-style sessions
4) Skipping rope sessions
5) Kayaking, canoeing, SUP
6) Hiking or climbing
7) Dancing
8) Roller skating or rollerblading
9) Mountain biking
11) Outdoor games with the kids
12) Agility with your dog
13) Giving the garden a makeover
Your health and fitness habits should always be enjoyable and sustainable. If you need some expert helping working out what this looks like, drop me a line to talk about in-person or online coaching.
‘The number one rated Personal Trainer In Henley and Oxfordshire’
