Cardio – Good for a Healthy Lifestyle?
The value of practice and consistency, as part of a balanced lifestyle, is not to be underestimated.
I’m often inundated by ads indicating that cardio does not help with weight management, some even suggesting it may not be good for you. While I am not going to attempt to debunk that information I’d love to discuss cardio exercise – the good the bad, the indifferent. So let’s go…
Planning – to lose weight and hold it off for an extended period (or to maintain your weight) without regular exercise and a proper diet is as pointless as putting on your slippers to climb Everest.
Often we hear that by burning more calories than you consume every day, you lose weight. But it may be a little more than that, you want to build muscles! When we exercise, we build and use our muscles. This activity helps to build muscle mass, it is muscle tissue which burns more calories than body fat. This happens even when you are at rest. According to studies (Wharton), 10 pounds of muscle burns 50 calories in a day spent at rest, while 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories. In other words, while muscle doesn’t burn fat directly, having more muscle mass results in you burning more calories (when at rest) at the same body weight than if you had less muscle mass.
Is the math, mathing? To me it is, so we must focus not only on moving daily to stay healthy but also to build muscle and importantly to have a balanced diet (we’ll discuss that in another blog).
Muscle is metabolically active tissue that requires energy to maintain, however, fat tissue does not require this. This is particularly important due to our busy lifestyles. If we build muscle mass, it means on the days, or when we can’t exercise, our muscle mass will continue to burn calories and aid in keeping that weight management equation in balance.
A sedentary (physically inactive) way of life will often make you lethargic and experience drained strength levels particularly if you reduce your calories. It is therefore logical that in contrast, increasing your level of activity will increase your metabolism and result in your body burning calories faster.
Before I dig some best fat-burning cardiovascular (cardio) exercises, let’s take a look at the benefits of cardio.
Benefits of Cardio Exercises
Cardiovascular exercises, also known as aerobic exercises, increase your heart and breathing rates. Some of us don’t like cardiac activity (admittedly, I am not a great fan, if it’s simply running or any of the cardio done in a gym, but I am aware that it’s beneficial to include cardio as a part of your health plan. Fortunately, there are many other ways to get good cardio into your lifestyle). Engaging in regular cardio exercises offers numerous benefits for your overall health and well-being, whether it’s a game of badminton or tennis or going for a brisk walk or on the treadmill, there are a variety of ways to ‘get your heart rate up’.
Here are some of the key advantages:
- Improved Heart Health
Cardio exercises strengthen your heart muscles, this makes it more efficient at pumping blood. As such, regular cardiovascular workouts is said to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, lowers blood pressure, and is even said to improve cholesterol levels.
- Weight Management
Cardio exercises are an effective way to burn calories and maintain a healthy weight. Engaging in running, cycling, or swimming will increase your metabolic rate. As I shared above, this will help you to burn more calories even after you are completed your workout.
- Increased Stamina & Endurance
Regular cardio workouts will not only improve your cardiovascular fitness but will also increase your lung capacity. You’re properly wondering why this is important, – an improved cardiovascular fitness and lung capacity leads to enhanced stamina and endurance, allowing you to perform daily tasks with less fatigue and just make you feel great all around. In addition, with time you will notice that you can participate in physical activities for longer durations.
- Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases
Regular cardio workouts lower the risk of developing various chronic conditions. This includes type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and metabolic syndrome.
- Stronger Immune System
Moderate-intensity cardio exercises have been shown to enhance immune function and reduce the risk of respiratory infections. So if you are the one with a weaker immune system, this can really help! Regular physical activity strengthens your immune system, making you less susceptible to illnesses. I am a testament to this as I have an auto-immune disease which does make it challenging to keep fir, but I have definitely seen the benefits.
- Mental Well-Being
Cardio exercises stimulate the release of endorphins, often referred to as “feel-good” hormones. These endorphins help reduce stress, alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, and enhance your overall mood. In addition, and very importantly – cardio workouts can improve sleep quality, leading to better mental and emotional health.
- Enhanced Cognitive Function
I’ve discovered that cardio exercises have a positive impact on cognitive abilities. Regular aerobic workouts do help me improve memory, attention span, and overall brain function – after a good workout I feel mentally alert and sharp. Research shows that cardio also promotes the growth of new brain cells and increases blood flow to the brain, which is beneficial for cognitive health. Try it and let me know how it works for you.
- Increased Energy Levels
Engaging in cardio exercises boosts your energy levels by improving circulation and oxygen delivery throughout your body. You must be thinking how? believe it or not, it helps to alleviate feelings of fatigue and provide a natural energy boost to tackle daily tasks more effectively.
- Better Bone Health
There are some cardio exercises, such as running, jumping rope, or brisk walking, which are weight-bearing activities and as such, promote bone strength and density. This can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and improve overall bone health, so if you are able, find a fun way to keep moving.
- Social Benefits
Taking part in cardio exercises can be a social activity. Social interaction can contribute to a sense of community, motivation, and overall well-being. So whether you join a gym and work out with friends, join a run club, or engage in team sports, you will see the positive benefits.
Ready to bring a bigger change in your physical and mental health? Consider slowly introducing great lifestyle changes. Be patient with yourself as the reward is not reaped when you sow the seed… you have to give yourself time to adjust, to make mistakes and to finally reap your positive rewards. Try adding cardio into your routine! You don’t need to overdo it to reap positive rewards. Let me know your progress and how introducing even a small amount of cardio benefits your overall health.
Disclaimer: It’s important to note that it is always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions.
The important thing is to keep moving, in whatever way possible. Keep moving
You’re 100% correct. This should be the aim indeed:)
I don’t like doing cardio at all. But it’s important to get your heart rate up as you try to burn calories
I hate cardio but you make some good points in this article