How Changing Cardiovascular Routines Makes You Fitter

Cardio, short for cardiovascular is rightly named.  When doing cardio exercises, your heart and blood flow are strengthened.  Other benefits include a larger lung capacity, lower stress, better sleep, stronger muscles and joints, and so much more!

If you hardly exercise, even 5 minutes of cardio a day will show dramatic results, so there’s no reason not to exercise.  Well, except one: laziness! 

Doing cardio can get boring.  The treadmill is my bread and butter, but even bread and butter gets dull.  So, to keep fitness fun and interesting, I now switch up my cardio every couple of weeks.

What is proper cardio?  A good rule of thumb is a workout that makes you breathe hard but still allows you to talk.  If you can’t speak a word because you are too bust huffing and puffing, you are probably in an anaerobic state.  If you are able to hold a full on conversation, then you are aren’t working hard enough.  At this level, you are optimally working out your heart and lungs.

With that definition, cardio can pretty much be anything from running to jumping up and down to cleaning your house.  Here are some great tips on creative cardio.

First, switch up your ‘regular’ cardio exercises.  Running and the elliptical at the gym are the two most popular forms of cardio.  Followed closely by bicycling.  If you are stuck on one, try the other, you will work out different muscles and will get a good burn!  I hated the bike until I actually got on one.  Now, especially on days I feel extra tired, I hop on a stationary bike and start peddling.

How often do you jump in a pool and swim laps?  Swimming is an underrated workout because it seems people are afraid of water these days after tales of germs at the swimming pool.  But resistance from water is perfect for cardio, and sculpts your back and chest like no other exercise out there.

Try getting really creative with cardio by doing exotic exercises like skiing, rock climbing, or even surfing.  Turn your hobby into a great cardio exercise by picking up the pace a bit.

 

For example, I like to clean which is an unfortunate hobby I inherited from my mother.  When there’s a mess, I pick up the pace so I sweat a bit.  Now I kill two birds with one stone: a clean house and a healthy heart!  I bought a heavier broom, wash dishes by hand instead of using the machine, and load my laundry basket with water bottles to get a kick out of cleaning.  This is a little obsessive, I admit, but you can turn your hobbies into successful cardio exercises by just adding a little intensity.

Nearly all sports involve some sort of cardio exercise.  Basketball, football, hockey, soccer all involve great cardio like running, skating, and jumping but in fun and exciting ways.  Try getting a group of friends together and head to the beach for a volleyball tournament.  Go to the park for a pick up game.  Or even join an adult flag football league.  This will ensure you get consistent exercise and have fun at the same time.

Regardless of what you enjoy, there is a cardio exercise that fits your needs.  Even video game consoles like Wii have games based around cardio exercise.  So the laziest of people can now get fit without worrying about getting bored.  A little imagination mixed in with a bit of work can go a long way!

 

-KW

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