Recently I feel as if cardio has gotten a bad rep. Don’t get me wrong I do think that cardio can be misused (e.g. when people do nothing but cardio hoping to meet their fitness goals). However there are benefits to cardio-vascular exercise when it’s used correctly.
So what are these benefits I keep harping on about?
- Improves heart health
- Improves your recovery time
- Boosts your mood and can help tackle anxiety and stress
- Boosts your immune system
- It promotes brain health
- Can help regulate diabetes
- Can help you lose or maintain weight
How often should you do cardio?
It’s recommended that for overall cardiovascular health and individual perform 30 minutes of low intensity aerobic exercise 5 days a week or 25 minutes vigorous exercise 3 times a week.
Some of my favourite cardio exercises
- Walking = including cardio into your life doesn’t mean you have to spend more time in the gym. Walking can be done anywhere
- Swimming
- Interval Sprints
- Rowing
- Stair Master
- Circuit Training
Just make sure you enjoy the form of cardio you include into your routine.
Just some food for thought
Jay xx