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Fitness Tips

Cardio Workouts 101: Key Benefits You Need to Know + Tips for Success!

Thinking of incorporating cardio into your workout or want to maximize the cardio you already do? Good idea! 

According to the U.S. Department of Health, we should be getting between 75-150 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. 

There are several ways to get the most out of your cardio workouts so you can see the results you desire. 

Keep reading to find out more! 

Why Is Cardio Important?

Cardio is essential to keep both the inside and outside of your body strong and healthy. 

It helps you lose weight and burn fat, making your strength training exercises that much more effective. Regular cardio workouts also increase your energy and stamina, strengthen your immune system and manage your blood sugar levels. 

Longterm, cardio can help prevent some diseases, lower cholesterol and manage your blood pressure. 

Get the Most out of Your Cardio Workouts

Now that you understand the importance of incorporating regular cardio into your routine, here are a few tips on maximizing the results and getting the most out of your workouts. 

Try HIIT

You may have seen or heard of HIIT (high-intensity interval training). This type of cardio workout has become popular in the last few years with some gyms and studios devoting entire classes to it

This type of exercise alternates high-intensity workouts with moderate or slow-paced workouts. Think one minute of sprinting followed by two minutes of speed walking. 

This helps build stamina faster and keeps your body guessing so it doesn’t plateau. Interval training is also known to help boost metabolism and burn stubborn belly fat faster than other cardio workouts. 

Don’t Forget the Arms

Since most cardio workouts focus solely on the lower body, adding your arms into the mix will make your workout harder and more effective.  

Wear wrist weights or hold light weights while you work your lower body and incorporate an arm movement if possible. Or, try adding burpees or pushups into your cardio routine for a full-body workout. 

Mix It Up

If you plan to do cardio a few times a week, try to avoid doing the exact same workout. 

As with anything, when our bodies become used to a certain type of movement or exercise, it becomes less challenging and over time, less effective. 

Between spinning, running, HIIT classes and more, there are plenty of types of cardio to try. If you can, try doing at least two different types in a week.

This will help you continue to build stamina and burn fat during your workouts. 

Always push and challenge yourself when it comes to cardio. Even increasing your workout time by a few minutes can help you see results faster. Just when you think you can’t do anymore, go an extra 30 seconds or one minute.

Try These Cardio Tips Today

With the tips above, you can get the most out of your cardio workouts and implement practices to see the results you desire. 

Remember to incorporate your whole body when possible and change up the type of cardio workout you do. 

Check out the rest of our blog for more workout tips and contact us today to see how we can help you achieve your fitness goals.