Weight gain or weight loss cardio, the importance of cardio workout in any exercise program, cannot be overemphasized. It has been a popular belief that cardio only burns off fat with minimal muscle gain, sometimes making it dreaded by most bodybuilders.

However this is not entirely true- it’s rhythmic movements build up your heart rate to a level where you’ll be most productive and efficient in burning fat. Furthermore, it also increases blood flow and is an excellent way to prepare the body for a tougher workout.

Therefore should be incorporated in any training regime, be it getting fit, getting healthier or losing weight. Here is a rundown of cardio’s benefits:

Promotes good cardiovascular health

This is the first benefit that you will gain from this workout. Cardio gets you all warmed up and gets your heart pumping harder and eventually gets stronger with time as it adapts with time.

Being a muscle organ exercising it on a regular basis prevents it from wearing out and becoming weaker. The heart, as a core organ in our body, is responsible for oxygen-blood circulation, in turn, promotes good general health, especially in the long run.

Regulates body weight

Aerobic exercise, another name for cardio, helps you extra weight helping you achieve your weight greatloss targets. General results show that you can shred off initial body mass of up to 5.7% by doing aerobic exercise regularly.

Naturally reducing calorie intake will also supplement your efforts in weight loss; the two coupled are very powerful in achieving weight loss.  

Maximizes fat loss by pairing it with weight lifting

This is arguably the best combination if you want to shed off fat. Most people are torn in between choosing a routine that solely focuses on cardio or weight training, but in reality, doing both is ideal and shows the best results.

Continuous motions with the demanding intensity experiences from weight resistance lead to more dramatic fat loss and muscle gain, increasing your overall strength and stamina.

Increases metabolism

In the simplest of terms, these are the chemical reactions happening inside our bodies that essentially keep us alive and well. They include processes such as how oxygen is absorbed in our bodies to how food is consumed.

The increased heart rate during cardio requires more oxygen to sustain it and to keep you going. You will, therefore, experience an increased rate in oxygen metabolism and food and find it easier to lose weight or maintain the weight you want.

Promotes faster recovery

Cardio shortens recovery times between workouts and it delays the dreaded DOMS, the onset of muscle soreness between workouts.

Most cardio workouts are medium paced, allowing your muscles to slowly absorb blood rich in oxygen as you slowly wind down your day. This prevents muscle cramps and helps you loosen up stiff and tired muscles, leaving you ready to exercise the next day.

Boots the immune system

A research done on a group of people confirmed that medium intensity cardio or even LISS workouts promote the production of a particular kind of antibodies called immunoglobulin. These are responsible for boosting the immune system leaving making the body less susceptible to diseases and infections. 

Cardio workouts you can do

The best cardio workout is the one that you can do consistently. You should enjoy doing it frequently and it should never feel like a form of punishment.

The best part of cardio is that it can be done anywhere anytime; if you don’t where to start you can even check out some of the most popular fitness apps, for example 30 Days Fitness Challenge has some great cardio workout routines for men.

Below are some of the most popular types of cardio workouts that reap the best results.

Good old Running

This is a simple and straight forward method that is great for beginners. Jogging at a moderate pace for five minutes might sound easy, but it is excellent for a gradual increase in heart rate and warming you up. You can make this more intense or simpler by increasing or reducing your inclines.

HIIT

High-intensity interval training burns more fat in half the time that you’ll spend in the moderate-intensity workout. These workouts include sprints, hitting a boxing bags, swinging the kettlebell in the gym or even light car pushes. All this should be done in short bursts and after a proper meal for excellent results and prevent injury.

Cycling

This is an activity that most people enjoy and it also relatively easy to do. Cycling on a stationary bike or outdoors for periods between 20-25 minutes will leave you mind alert and body warmed up for activities to come. It is considered low intensity, in fact compared to running it burn less calories, approximately a fourth.

Jumping ropes

Jumping ropes is the ultimate fast and effective cardio workout. Start off by warming up for five minutes by skipping the ropes, then makes waves with the heavy ropes for the hard part then wind down by jumping the light ropes.

Swimming

Swimming works out your entire body while toning it for an added benefit. A swimming workout can include freestyle, backstroke, and sidestroke. This activity engages your heart and lungs making it a perfect cardiovascular exercise.

With the benefits and cardio exercises highlighted, it’s now your turn to do it the healthy way and keep in mind that practice makes everything better.

So, never skip cardio again guys !

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