Cardio, Why and how much?
(According to exercise.about.com)…
Here’s why cardio is so important:
- It’s one way to burn calories and help you lose weight
- It makes your heart strong so that it doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood
- It increases your lung capacity
- It helps reduce risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
- It makes you feel good
- It helps you sleep better
- It helps reduce stress
Just about anything is acceptable as long as it involves a movement that gets your heart rate into your Target Heart Rate Zone. Remember:
- There is no ‘best’ cardio exercise. Anything that gets your heart rate up fits the bill
- It’s not what you do, but how hard you work. Any exercise can be challenging if you make it that way
- Do something you enjoy. If you hate gym workouts, don’t force yourself onto a treadmill. If you like socializing, consider team sports or a walking club.
- Do something you can see yourself doing at least 3 days a week.
- Be flexible. You don’t have to do the same thing all the time–it’s boring and will lead to weight loss plateaus as well. Feel free to turn on the radio and dance around the house like a fool.
- Do something…anything. Please. We really need to take care of this obesity problem
After you choose what to do, the most important element of your workout will now be how long you do it. You should work on duration before you work on anything else–it’s more important than how fast you’re going. If you’re a beginner, be cautious and start with a few minutes, adding more time to each workout until you’re up to 30 minutes.
