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How About Cardio Exercise For Better Health

What you should know about cardio or aerobic exercise

By PrakuzoPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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Cardio Exercise For Better Health

You may have heard that during strength training, you should take a day or two off between sessions to allow your muscles to heal.

What about cardiovascular activity, though? Do you need to take some time off? Cardio exercise, after all, aids:

boost the health of your heart and lungs

  • bolster your muscles
  • increase the flow of blood
  • improve your mood,
  • sleep better,
  • reduce your risk of heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes

We'll look at the suggested amount of cardio exercise, the benefits and drawbacks of performing cardio every day, and the best technique for losing weight with this type of exercise in this post.

What you should know about cardio or aerobic exercise

Your muscles require more blood and oxygen during aerobic or cardio exercise than when they are at rest. This forces your heart and lungs to work harder, which might strengthen these body organs over time.

The flow of blood and oxygen in your body will also improve as your heart and lungs become stronger.

Cardio or aerobic exercise refers to a wide range of activities. Walking, for example, can be done at a moderate speed. Running, riding uphill, jumping rope, and swimming laps are all activities that can be done at a faster speed.

If you want to exercise in a group situation, there are a variety of aerobic classes and sports to choose from, including:

  • Soccer
  • Dancing Classes
  • Martial Art Classes
  • Boot Camp
  • Spin Classes
  • Basketball
  • Cricket
  • Tennis

What is the amount of cardiac activity that is recommended?

People aged 18 and over, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, should get:

a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week OR a minimum of 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week OR a mix of both

According to the World Health Organization, whatever sort of aerobic exercise you select, you should do it for at least 10 minutes at a time to reap the maximum advantages.

30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day, such as a brisk stroll, can help you realize a range of benefits. You could also do two 15-minute walks each day or three 10-minute walks per day.

The quantity of cardiac activity you should undertake on a daily or weekly basis has no recommended upper limit. If you push yourself hard during each workout, however, taking a day or two off each week to relax may help you avoid injury and burnout.

Is it safe to perform cardio on a daily basis?

Researchers discovered that taking up to 60 minutes of cardiac exercise daily is safe and suitable, especially if weight loss is a goal, in a 2012 study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

Although cardiac exercise has many benefits, a 2017 study indicated that exercising intensively every day or most days of the week may have dangers.

The amount of cardiac activity that is considered safe varies from person to person. It is also contingent on:

  • your fitness level
  • any underlying health issues
  • your overall health

However, the following signs and symptoms may indicate that you've gone too far:

muscular soreness that persists aching joints tasks that were once simple become more difficult loss of motivation or excitement for exercise bad sleep

If you haven't exercised in a while or are recovering from an accident or sickness, consult your doctor about how to start a cardio regimen safely and for how long and how often to exercise.

Also, if you have a medical condition that may limit the kind of exercise you can safely do, see your doctor. This includes heart illness, breathing issues, arthritis, and any other joint ailment.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of performing cardio on a daily basis?

Cardio activity on a daily basis has both advantages and disadvantages. It's crucial to know what they are because they can have an impact on your health.

Advantages of a daily aerobic workout

  • enhances your cardiovascular health and heart function
  • improves blood flow and helps manage high blood pressure helps you sleep better at night, especially if you exercise earlier in the day
  • enhances your body's usage of fat as a source of energy, potentially resulting in weight loss
  • enhances lung function and respiratory health in general
  • improves your mood, gives you more energy, and reduces stress

Disadvantages of doing cardio exercises every day

  • weariness, both physical and mental
  • loss of muscle mass, which can happen if you don't eat enough calories to keep your body from pulling energy from muscle tissue. over-training injury

If you want to reduce weight, should you practice cardio every day?

When you burn more calories than you ingest, you lose weight. As a result, aerobic exercise's calorie-burning effects can be a great approach to lose weight.

For instance, 30 minutes of brisk walking (3.5 miles per hour) can burn approximately 140 calories. This works out to 980 calories per week, or around 4,000 calories per month.

Even if you don't reduce your calorie intake, a half-hour of cardio exercise every day can help you lose at least one pound per month (one pound equals about 3,500 calories).

Exercising more frequently and changing your diet could help you lose even more weight. However, keep in mind that as your fitness increases, your body may become more efficient at calorie burning.

This means that doing the same workout will likely burn fewer calories over time. As a result, unless you increase your calorie-burning activities, weight loss may slow.

According to a report published in 2017,

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, combining aerobic and strength training may be the best way to lose weight.

This could involve cardio exercise three to four times per week and weight training two to three times each week.

Tips for being safe

Take stock of your fitness level before beginning a cardiac training plan, and be realistic about what such exercise program would entail for you.

Start with brief, low-intensity workouts if you've been idle for a long. You can gradually increase the length of your workouts as your endurance improves, but not the intensity.

You can gradually raise the intensity of your cardio workout once you've gotten used to longer workouts.

Also, keep in mind the following safety precautions:

  • Warm up for a few minutes by going for a quick walk or doing some calisthenics. In the same way, cool down.
  • If you're unwell or don't have much energy, skip an exercise.
  • Fluids should be consumed before, during, and after your workout.
  • Avoid running or jogging on uneven ground, which might put you at risk of an ankle injury or a fall.
  • If you experience abrupt pain or have problems collecting your breath, come to a halt.

Last but not least

A 30-minute aerobic workout is a safe activity to do every day for most people. People with chronic health concerns, on the other hand, may not be able to undertake as much aerobic exercise. However, it is still critical to be as active as possible.

If you usually undertake longer and more strenuous cardio activities, taking a day off once a week can help your body recover and reduce your chance of injury.

If you're trying to lose weight, gradually increase the duration and intensity of your aerobic activities to avoid hitting a weight-loss plateau. Also, attempt to combine cardio and strength training routines each week for the best results.

Before beginning a new exercise plan, consult your doctor if you're new to aerobic activity or have an injury or underlying health issue.

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About the Creator

Prakuzo

I Write Health and Fitness, Personal Growth and Spirituality

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