The Simple Facts About Cardio
Before we talk about how much cardio you should do, you should at least know why it’s so important. Cardiovascular exercise simply means that you’re involved in an activity that raises your heart rate to a level where you’re working, but can still talk (aka, in your Target Heart Rate Zone). 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
I could go on all day, but you get the point
There is no ‘best’ cardio exercise. Anything that you enjoy and that gets your heart rate up fits the bill.
If you like to go outdoors, running, cycling, hiking or walking are all good choices. If you like the gym, you’ll have access to stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, treadmills, rowing machines, stairmasters and more. For the home exerciser, there are a number of excellent exercise videos to try and you don’t need much equipment to get a great home cardio workout. Do something you enjoy. If you hate gym workouts, don’t force yourself onto a treadmill. If you like socializing, consider sports, group fitness, working out with a friend or a walking club. Choose something you can see yourself doing at least 3 days a week. Be flexible and don’t be afraid to branch out once you get comfortable with exercise.
Do all those things you know you should be doing: take the stairs, walk more, stop driving around looking for that front row parking space, etc.
Make the time. People who work out don’t have more time than people who don’t. They’ve just practiced making exercise a priority. Scheduling your workouts and treating them like any other appointment you wouldn’t miss may help you stick to your program.
Keep in mind that doing too much cardio is a no-no as well and can actually backfire. There is a point of diminishing returns, so keep it reasonable (3-6 days a week, depending on your fitness level), vary your intensity and don’t forget to take rest days when needed.
If you have an extremely busy schedule, you may have trouble reaching your weight loss goals. If you can’t do the work required to reach your goals, you may have to change your lifestyle or, if that isn’t working, change your goal to fit where you are in your exercise or weight loss experience.
How hard you work is directly related to how many calories you burn. Raising intensity is the best way to burn more calories when you’re short on time. It’s an easy part of your workout to change–all you do is work harder. It’s easy to monitor with a heart rate monitor or perceived exertion scale
So how hard should you work? That depends on several factors including your fitness level and your goals. There are three different levels of intensity you can focus on during your workouts, and you can even incorporate all of these levels into the same workout:
High Intensity Cardio: This falls between about 75-85% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) if you’re using heart rate zones, or a 7 to 8 on this perceived exertion scale. What this translates to is exercise at a level that feels challenging and leaves you too breathless to talk much. If you’re a beginner, you may want to work up to this level or try interval training so that you work harder for shorter periods of time. Read the page dedicated to HIIT for more info and find out if HIIT can burn more calories than “regular” cardio!
Moderate Intensity Cardio: This level falls between about 60-70% of your MHR (a level 4 to 6 on this perceived exertion scale). The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) often recommends this level of intensity in its exercise guidelines. This is the level you typically want to shoot for during your workouts.
Low Intensity Cardio: This type of exercise is considered to be below about 50-55% of your MHR, or about a level 3 to 5 on this perceived exertion scale. This is a good level to work at during your warm ups or when you’re squeezing in other activities, like walking, throughout the day.
Remember, the best cardio exercise is simply the one you will do day in and day out consistently. Choose one which you enjoy doing and don’t be afraid to mix the exercises up.
