What can Cardio do for you?

Cardio is a necessary fitness component everyone must take part in. It’s a love for many but others may hate everything about it. If cardio isn’t being included in your fitness plan, add to see the new benefits you can see and feel.

Cardio, short for cardiovascular exercise, is any movement that gets your heart rate up and increases blood circulation throughout the body. There are various forms and methods of performing cardio exercise - all which will have specific benefits and guidelines.

The whole concept of cardio is that by performing a movement you must use more energy resulting in calories being burned, thus losing weight and excess body fat. Depending on what kinds of fitness goals you have different cardio workouts may benefit you more, especially if you are targeting to lose weight in certain areas of your body.

Cardio workouts don’t just help you lose weight there are many different benefits of cardio workouts which should just give you definite reasons as why you must include them:

Benefits
• 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

Looking for tips to help you get on track? Want to know how you can stay motivated? In this next section are some tips and ideas about cardio and ways that you can start, continue, and maintain your workout.

• Quick and efficient. Try to get at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise 3 days a week. You need to either split this up into two 15 minutes intervals or all at once. This is just so you will see the listed benefits above. Try something easy that you think you can do that way you can build a positive outlook on your cardio workout and not get discouraged--walking, running, going to the gym, vigorous yard work--whatever you want.

• Make it a habit. Make sure you continue with your workout. Measure your goals and keep track of the progress you have made, this will further your success and give you an idea of what you can achieve and how you did it.

• Be Enduring. Start slow, change comes with time and that’s why patience is necessary, weight lose may not be obvious after your first few workout but stay positive if you have changed your eating, included a working routine than results will come. Make your goals long term, and then put your focus on daily changes you are making this will allow for changes in intensity and duration of your workouts later on.

• Put your Body First. Learn more about how your body responds, try to forget about your workouts intensity, duration and try things like speeding up and slowing down during a workout. Track how your body responds to these changes, do you feel tired or can you speed up more? This is so you can base your workout on how you feel not on what someone else told you that you have to do. These customized workouts allow you to feel confident about how you are working with what feels right for your body.

• Get Outside!. I know the weather can be bad sometimes, but not every day, try to take your workouts outside. This will allow you to switch up the environment and decrease boredom. As well you get to explore your area. Think about it, when was the last time you went exploring in your own neighbourhood parks, bike trails and walkways. This will take your mind off the workout and connect you back with your body and environment.

• Switch it up. Change up your workout. You can pretty much do any kind of workout just as long as it gets your heart rate up. By switching your workout week to week your body doesn’t have a chance to get use to it and you will continue to see results. Discover new workouts you like or things you like to do this can only help you.

• Be Happy with your Body. Your body is an amazing machine. It can repair itself, become stronger, and grow. You have the ability to change your health and help live longer and feel better. It has many abilities, so take advantage of it and improve it.


Conclusion

Now with the benefits and some tips to help you appreciate cardio and its ability to help you, go out there and use these tips and change your body. The time is now! so seize the day and make a difference for yourself. Your deserve it!