Cardio Exercises – Tips & Tricks About Cardio Exercise

Cardio exercises is the most popular method of losing weight and getting in shape, but not always the most effective. This article is for people who wonder what cardio exercises there are, how long to do it and what benefits it will have on your body… Cardio is great for losing weight, but it should always be combined with a healthy balanced diet…

Make sure you are in good condition to perform cardio before starting any cardio program… You will have a raised heart beat for prolonged periods of time and if you haven’t been active this can be very strenuous on the body if you are not used to exercise.

Benefits of Cardio Exercise?

Cardio is a great way to get your body to move. Your body was made to be active and in motion. Many jobs in the past have been hard on the body, and reqiured a lot of hard work, running and efficient work each day…

So when you do cardio exercises think of these benefits that it has on your body.

Increased fat loss speed

Stronger heart and lungs

Increased bone density

Reduced stress

Reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer

Temporary relief from depression and anxiety

More confidence about how you feel and how you look

Better sleep

More energy

Setting a good example for your kids to stay active as they get older

Source: http://exercise.about.com/od/cardioworkouts/a/cardio_exercise.htm

I am willing to agree with all these points made here. It does help you sleep better, gives you more energy and actually helps aid many psychological problems… If you are down and out of energy, cardio is a great way to feel more vibrant and up beat fast.

What Is Cardiovascular Exercise?

Cardio is short for cardiovascular. This refers to the heart. So when we do any kind of cardio we are essentially training the heart to become stronger and pump around more blood faster, etc. It helps move your blood around the body faster… It increases your bloods’ ability to deliver oxygen to the body and much much more. Cardio is pretty much essential for survival, and really helps you flatten your stomach and lose fat from all over your body at the same time!

Cardio exercise can sometimes also be called “aerobic” exercise. This simply means that the muscles used need oxygen… A way to make this happen is by continously moving at a rhytmic pace for an extended period of time, such as running or jogging…

How Long Should I Perform Cardio?

A good recommendation is as follows below:

For health benefits, do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, OR
Vigorous cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
For weight loss, you may need to do 60-90 minutes of activity several days a week

Personally I do 16 minutes of HIIT every non-gym day. This is just my routine and is an advanced form of cardio exercise. If you are new, simply take on 30 minutes of jogging a few times per week. This is a good starting point.

What Kinds of Cardio Exercises Can You Do?

There are many kinds of cardio exericses that you can do… Anyhing that gets your heart rate up and slightly out of breath for 30 minutes is considered as “OK” cardio in my book… You can try any of the following as a general guideline, and all of their combinations.

Outdoor Cardio Exercises:

Running
Walking
Jogging
Bicycling
Jump-roping
Swimming
Sports like Basketball, Soccer, Football, Baseball
Skateboarding, BMX etc, etc
Cross Country Skiing

Indoor Cardiovascular Exercise

Treadmills
Stationary bicycles
Stairclimbers
Rowing machines
Elliptical trainers
Ladder climbers
Circuit Training
Aerobics
Jumping
Burpees
Mountain Climber Exercise
Dancing
Pilates
Workout DVD’s etc

Pick your kind of exercise and use that for your cardio workouts. It is not complicated to get started as most of the time you only need yourself and a few feet. There are no excuses, you can jump up and down on the same spot for 30 minutes… That would be cardio. Stick with your cardio workout and do it for fuuuun! It should be fun to do your workouts. If it’s not for you, move on. I like burpees, because it’s easy and also helps promote some muscle gain.

Whatever you do, never stop working out! It’s essential for good health. It’s also easier to stick to a diet if you also exercise regulartly, because you think about it conciously. Make sure you also get a good diet into your lifestyle that works and fit your schedule…

Good luck with your cardio exercise!