The Importance of Cardio Training
By Aaron Jalteco
Cardio exercises have been shown to improve a person’s quality of life and possibly decrease their chance of cardiovascular disease. Whether you currently have a sedentary lifestyle or already engage in these forms of exercise, everyone can stand to benefit from diversifying their current habits. Doing cardio does not have to be a mind-numbing chore; there are a variety of different activities to choose from such as yoga and dance.
This information might appear both daunting and scary, but creating a sustainable routine is a lot easier than you might think. It starts with giving yourself time to ease into the exercise, and progressively working your way up to a level you are comfortable with.
According to a study published in the BMC Public Health medical journal, exercise and physical activity resulted in a reduced mortality rate for individuals. This improvement was most noticeable in those with mental health challenges. Encouraging yourself and others who may be facing issues to get active would be a huge benefit.
It is important to keep in mind that while all forms of exercise offer positive health benefits, some are more impactful than others. A study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that endurance training and yoga were the most impactful when it came to reducing an individual's resting heart rate (RHR). Having a lower RHR is important as it reduces the chance of having cardiovascular issues.
When most people think of cardio, they think of walking on a treadmill or any similar endurance training machine at the gym. While these may be the most popular, they do not often make for the most engaging workouts. If you are feeling burnt out, you could switch things up by taking walks around your neighborhood, swimming, cycling, dancing or playing games in virtual reality. Anything that gets your heart rate into the anaerobic zone and keeps it there for a sustained period will work too.
Changes to your daily regimen should mesh well into your lifestyle so that they can be long-lasting and sustainable. If you like to dance, you might enjoy learning new moves in order to satisfy your daily movement goals. Above all, finding a routine you enjoy is the most important factor.
Before beginning a new cardio exercise, you should first figure out which is most compatible with you. Once you have decided on your choice, it is best to start small. Incremental steps are the key to success; leaping forward and throwing yourself into hour-long exercises are more likely to result in habits that will fizzle out.
It is tempting to want to give an exciting new workout your all, but slowly nurturing it is almost always the ideal course of action. Whether it be athletes, musicians or artists, they do not arrive at where they are by trying to emulate the greats on day one of their journey.
Time is a finite resource, so it is in everyone's interest to be as healthy as they are capable of. Whether that be through playing fetch with your dog or running laps on a track, every bit helps.