A cardio routine refers to any exercise that increases the heart rate. In order for the body to be in its tip top shape, it has to move. Along with the rise in the heart rate, cardio exercises also boost a person’s metabolism, strengthen the body’s core, and enhance the shape of the muscles.
According to Health Status, cardio workouts include walking, running, cycling, swimming, rowing, and aerobic workouts. Such activities cause moderate sweating, along with the use of the muscles over a sustained period. As a result, the heart would pump more blood, increasing its rate to supply the body tissues and cells adequate oxygen that they need to perform their activities at microscopic level. According to The American College of Sports Medicine, 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity should be done in most days of the weeks. A person is going too hard if he cannot finish a sentence while doing the workout. In fact, an activity that will induce a progressive elevated pulse in 20 minutes should be performed at least thrice a week for best results.
Cardio machines also aid people work hard and sweat for a short span of time, allowing them to be able to work out in the morning or during lunch break. Such equipment is also available indoors, allowing people to perform cardio routines whether it is sunny or rainy. In fact, Women’s Sports Medicine Center attending physician Marcy Goolsby told Women’s Health Magazine that hot weather would put extra stress on the heart and lungs, which could result to heat exhaustion. This entails that exercise should not be done in a hot area due to the risk of experiencing medical conditions like heat stroke. It is recommended to drink water at least 30 minutes prior to doing an exercise, as this would flush out caffeine that dehydrates the body. Also, it is advised to wear sweat-wicking clothes to absorb moisture from the body.
Warming up is one of the vital things to do before doing a cardio exercise. According to Men’s Fitness, doing a warm up would increase one’s range of motion, reduce the risk of having injuries, and prepare the body systems for the exercise. Some warm up routines include marching on the spot, heel digs, knee lifts, shoulder rolls, knee bends, and stretching. The publication added that one should plan ahead, such as aiming two to three sessions per week and being able to handle the routines serves as an initial indication of progress.
Equinox instructor Lashaun Dale told Health Magazine that exercises like jumping jacks, side lunges, dancing squat, line hops, tipsy bridge and lift, and arm circles, among others, would burn up to 350 calories in just 30 minutes. Such routines can be done thrice a week to reduce weight and brisk walking for 45-minutes can also be done to burn 250 calories a day.
Among the cardio routines, high intensity interval training (HIIT) serves as the best form of cardio that burns stubborn fat, according to Body Building. The publication said that HIIT could be done on various exercise machines, or even outdoors. It starts with 30 seconds at a moderate pace and another 30 seconds at a fast pace. For those who use exercise machines like the treadmill, the intensity could be varied to meet the specified pace. It is recommended to do a total of five to eight intervals, with three to five minutes to cool down.
Overall, cardio exercises also promote fat and weight loss, stronger cardiopulmonary system, increased bone density, reduced stress and depression, better sleep and more energy, enabling an individual to function efficiently and independently in any area of daily living.
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