Cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is one of the most
common forms of exercise and is defined as any type of activity that increases
your heart rate.
You can to do both cardio and strength training to get the
most out of your workout time.
If you are trying to lose weight, you can do exercise and
watch your diet to aid your weight loss. In fact, cardio is one of the most important
you need in your weight loss toolbox.
It is better to know how
much cardio you need, how hard you should work, and the best cardio exercises
for your goals and fitness level.
You achieve good
results when you mix up your workouts. Also, you can work at different
intensities and do different activities to keep both your mind and body from
getting bored.
Adding cardio to your routine may be one of the most
effective ways to enhance fat burning in the body.
Some Benefits of Cardio
Exercise in the Body
Weight loss is a wonderful byproduct of cardio exercise, but
there are so many other great benefits you can get from cardio exercise. The benefits include the following:
·
It
keeps your heart healthy: To keep your heart healthy and strong it has to be
worked; heart is a muscle just like any other. And by getting your heart rate
up consistently you will keep your heart strong and decrease your risk of heart
disease and other problematic conditions.
·
It
gives you a mood boost: The Cardiovascular exercise causes your brain to
release endorphins, the feel-good chemicals responsible for balancing your mood
and keeping depressive thoughts away. Several people cite beginning an exercise
schedule as one step they have taken to help their overall mental health. Again,
a brisk walk can noticeably alter your attitude.
·
It
boosts your body Immunity: The cardio exercise in most environments makes your
immune system stronger, helping you to reduce your body’s risk of bacterial
infection and prevent disease. Unless you are jogging through smog, the notion
that you are harming your immune system by getting in cardiovascular exercise
outdoors may not correct.
·
It
helps your blood circulation: The cardiovascular exercise improves your blood
circulation, which helps your body rid itself of toxins better and keeps you
healthy. The Poor circulation long-term can lead to problems such as heart
attack or stroke.
Keeping your circulation functioning
properly can help keep these problems from occurring.
·
It
boosts your body weight loss: Cardio workouts help you lose weight like none
other! If you start a new cardio schedule, you can see results quickly. You
need strength training to maintain a healthy metabolism, but if you’re pushing
yourself to a moderate to high intensity, you’ll burn calories and fat
effectively during each and every cardio workout.
The mechanisms by which
Cardio Helps You Lose Weight
In general, weight loss happens when you create a calorie
deficit, burning more calories than you eat. Some people prefer to cut calories
through their diets, it helps to have a combination of things— cardio, strength
training, and a healthy low-calorie diet.
These are important, but cardio is a key component
because:
• You burn more
calories at one time – To get your heart rate into your target heart rate zone
means your blood is pumping, you're breathing hard and you're sweating. As soon
as you get into that efficient calorie-burning zone, your body burns calories.
• You can easily add intensity to increase
your calorie burn - By cardio exercise it's easy to increase your calorie burn
with small changes in intensity: Going faster, jumping higher, climbing stair case
or trying new activities that your body isn't used to.
• It adds to your overall calorie
deficit in your body –To burn calories with exercise means you don't have to
cut as many calories from your diet. That is as long as you don't compensate
for the workouts by eating more lately in the day, which can happen to some
people in your environment.
• You may do cardio exercise most days
of the week -When you lift weights, your muscles require rest to recover and
grow stronger. Cardio may be done most days of the week without worrying about
injury or overtraining, depending on how you set up your program.
The Best Cardio Exercises for your body
Which
exercises are best and how much do you really need for weight loss? There is
really no best cardio exercise for the body. The best activity can be the one
you'll do on a regular basis. Finding something you like is critical to
reaching your weight loss goals. You should not do anything that makes you feel
miserable.
Some
exercises offer more intensity than others.
• The Impact activities: Some exercises
that involve some impact, like walking, will usually boost your heart rate
faster than no-impact activities like swimming or cycling.
• The high impact activities: The high
impact, or exercises that involve running or jumping, will often burn more
calories than lower impact things like walking. You might not even have to do
an entire workout with high impact moves. You can just choose a few and add
them to your current workout and you'll burn more calories.
• The whole body activities: The when
you involve both the upper and lower body, as in cross-country skiing, it's
often easier to get the heart rate up and burn more calories. Also, you can do
this by doing compound strength exercises. You get a great cardio benefit even
as you build strength and endurance, when it is done right.
It does not
mean you should not bother with low impact exercise. The both types of activities offer opportunities
to burn calories and doing both gives you a well-rounded program.
It is better
for your mind and body to have some variety, some workouts that are challenging
and others that allow you to recover while still exercising.
Moreover, you
can accomplish that by trying interval training, or working hard for a short
period of time followed by a recovery period. That's a great way to burn more
calories while building your endurance.
Check out
the following list of common exercises, to give you an idea of just how much
cardio you can do.
Below is the number of
calories burned for a 150-pound person in 30 minutes:
• Step aerobics: 340 calories
• Stationary bike: 238 calories
• Running 5 mph: 270 calories
• Swimming: 270 calories
• Mowing the lawn with a push mower: 200
calories
• Walking 4 mph: 170 calories
Everything
from walking to cutting the grass can burn a significant number of calories,
which is one reason cardio is so important for losing weight. Nearly anything
can become a cardio workout if you work hard enough at it.
How much cardio exercise do you need
to lose weight?
There is no direct
answer to how much cardio we need to lose weight. There are guidelines to give
us a place to start, after which you can start to get a better idea of what
your body can handle.
How much
cardio you need varies from person to person and depends on some factors such
as:
• How many calories you eat
• Your body fat percentage and weight
• Your exercise schedule
• How hard you exercise
• Your metabolism, age, and gender
• Your fitness level
The review
of 16 studies found that the more aerobic exercise people got, the more belly
fat they lost.
Other
studies have found that aerobic exercise can increase muscle mass and decrease waist circumference, belly fat and body fat.
Cardio for Muscle Gain
Cardio is
not just for weight loss; it also helps condition the heart and lungs and
promotes health and well-being.
If your goal
is to gain muscle, you would not need tons of cardio. And, doing at least three
20-minute sessions a week would not hurt your goals and will help you reap the
benefits of cardio without burning too many calories.
Keep in mind
that high intensity strength training can also get the heart rate up. For instance,
kettlebell training is an excellent way to build muscle while also working your
cardio system.
Abstract
The more aerobic exercise people get the more
body fat they tend to lose. Cardio exercise may also help reduce waist
circumference, lower body fat and increase muscle mass.
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