When you hear the term \u2018cardio\u2019, do you think of sweat dripping off your forehead while you\u2019re running your heart out on the treadmill or taking a brisk walk during your lunch hour? It\u2019s both. Cardiovascular exercise, which is also known as aerobic exercise, means that you\u2019re performing an activity \u2018with oxygen\u2019.<\/p>\n
This kind of exercise:<\/p>\n
Common forms of cardio include physical activities such as walking, jogging, swimming, cycling and fitness classes. Cardio machines could include a rower, elliptical<\/a>, stair climber, upright or recumbent bike as well as the treadmill.<\/p>\n While cardio does burn a lot of calories and helps with aiding in weight loss, including it with at least between two and three days a week of resistance workouts may raise the rate at which you lose weight.<\/p>\n The amount of cardio which you need to lose weight depends on various factors such as your current weight, diet, day-to-day activity level, and age.<\/p>\n Cardio exercise can assist with decreasing the risk of heart attack, stroke as well as a myriad of other health issues. However the amount itself is quite negligible.<\/p>\n In the United States of America, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) makes the recommendation that all people who are over the age of 18 get no less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise<\/a> every single week (as well as to two strength-training sessions that target all the key muscle groups). That equals two and a half hours of any physical activity which bumps up your heart rate to 60% of its maximum.<\/p>\n You will be able to estimate your max heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. So, for instance, the average 38-year-old guy has a maximum heart rate of 182 beats per minute (BPM). Thus, he\u2019d want his heart rate to hover around 109 BPM while performing moderate exercise.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re performing a moderate physical activity – such as a quick walk or jog, a fun dance class, or a moderate indoor cycling<\/a> class – you will only need to do 30 minutes five days a week in order to check that box.<\/p>\n For a more intensive cardio \u2013 such as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Orangetheory or another intense bootcamp – three sessions, which last between 25 and 30 minutes, per week would be enough.<\/p>\n When in doubt, 30 minutes of cardio on most days of the week is a great rule to follow. The sweet spot will be something which makes you feel energised and not depleted. You\u2019ll also want to concentrate on doing cardio which you enjoy!<\/p>\nCardio Lowers Your Risks<\/strong><\/h2>\n
So, How Much Cardio Is Actually Enough?<\/strong><\/h2>\n