Explore the benefits of cardio, from better sleep to heart health.
Learn why cardio is essential and how it improves your well-being.
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Pete McCall is a fitness expert, strength coach, and the host of the All About Fitness podcast. He’s also the author of the book,Smarter Workouts: the Science of Exercise Made Simple.
Hes also the author of the book,Smarter Workouts: the Science of Exercise Made Simple.
Yet this miracle drug doesnt require a doctors referral or a script.
And as long as you remain consistent with cardio, youll reap all its benefits.
First things first: What is cardio?
Cardiovascular exercise is really any exercise that increases your heart rate above a normal resting level, Buckingham says.
Your body also needs to release carbon dioxide at a faster rate than when youre not exercising.
This is why you breathe more rapidly during a workout.
Cardio exercise is a broad category and includes activities that dont necessarily look like exercise.
Its called stroke volume, Buckingham says.
Pete McCall is a fitness expert, strength coach, and the host of the All About Fitness podcast. He’s also the author of the book,Smarter Workouts: the Science of Exercise Made Simple.
Increasing your stroke volume enables your heart to pump blood to your body more efficiently.
When you eat something thats 100 calories, that gives you about 100 calories of energy, he says.
Cardiovascular exercise decreases your body weight, so theres less pressure on the vessels.
And it doesnt take long to see cardios impact.
It supports mental well-being and brain health
Ever notice how a brisk walk can boost your mood?
The truth is that much of cardios impact on your mental health is all in your headliterally.
Physical activity also stimulates the brain and creates new neurological connections, Buckingham says.
It can also help maintain or increase the size of the hippocampus, which is associated with memory development.
Exercise can help[prevent and manage]those diseases.
In other words, cardio is like a booster shot for your immune system.
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One bout of exercise actually decreases your immunity for a very short time period, Buckingham says.
And for people with existing sleep disorders, exercise may help improve symptoms.
In some cases, cardio exercise indirectly impacts sleep by improving conditions that can interrupt it, like obesity.
Or it may alleviate stress, which can contribute to insomnia.
Additionally, exercising outdoors exposes you to sunlight, which can help regulate your internal clock.
Plus, it features tried-and-true cardio moves with which youre likely already familiar.
The warm-up
Do each exercise back-to-back for 30 seconds.
(e.g., working for 45 seconds and resting for 15 seconds.)
After the last movement, rest for one minute.
Remember that you might do individual rounds throughout the day as movement snacks and still reap cardiovascular benefits.
How much aerobic exercise do you need?
Some people say, I cant do 150 minutes a week, so Im not going to do any.
I would rather have somebody do just 10 minutes a week than none, Buckingham says.
Ten minutes a week is still 520 minutes a year, and thats a lot more than zero.
Bottom line: When it comes to cardio, more is almost always better.
And something is always better than nothing.
Barring any restrictions specified by a healthcare practitioner, cardio exercise is considered safe and beneficial for all populations.
Of course, an appropriately challenging cardio workout will look different depending your experience and fitness level.
Cardio is for everybody, even older adults, Buckingham says.
Theres not a population that cant benefit from cardiovascular exercise.
FAQ
1.
Why is it important to do cardio?
What will happen if I do cardio every day?
However, if youre doing cardio every day, its important to vary the intensity of your workouts.
High-intensity training is stressful on the body, and too much can lead to injuries and other symptoms ofovertraining.
Limit your hard workouts to two or three times a week, and incorporate time foractive recovery.
Is 30 minutes of cardio three times a week enough?
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