Cardio That Aligns With Your Goals: My Top 4.

Cardio That Aligns With Your Goals: My Top 4.

Cardio is important at every fitness level, but not all forms of cardio are created equally. While there are many forms of cardio such as walking, running, cycling, and more to choose from, the best form of depends on your current fitness level, any pre-existing injuries, and the goals that you set for yourself along the way.

It's easy to get overwhelmed. What should I do? How much should I do? All valid questions. Allow me to break down everything that you need to know in order to escape the monotony of treadmill purgatory and supercharge your cardio game.

Try These For Your Next Workout: Benefits, Risks, and Who Benefits Most.

Cardio health benefits are endless and well-documented when related to weight loss and management. The health benefits of cardio reach far beyond losing a few pounds. Cardio is important for everyone. Whether you're looking to build strength, or muscle mass, cardio helps to:

• Strengthen your immune system
• Improve aerobic endurance
• Reduce risk of disease
• Enhance sleep quality, which aids in muscle recovery/repair
• Extend your life

The World Health Organization, CDC (Centers for Disease Control), and other fitness advocates recommends up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week.

The following comparisons illustrates that the type of cardio makes a difference as well.

1. Walking

Best For: Beginners, seniors, and those wanting to warm up, or cool down for, or from an exercise, or workout.

You should start with a slow walk if you're completely new to exercise. Walking is the perfect balance between cardio benefits, and being useful at all levels of experience and ages ranges. Walking is also a weight-bearing movement that helps to maintain healthy bones, joints, and muscles.

Details:

Cost: Luckily, $0! All you'll need is a good pair of shoes and some water. Surely you have a pair of used, or unused kicks laying around.

Calories Burned: It is estimated that the average 155 pound individual can burn roughly 175 calories in 30 minutes.

Targeted Muscles: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves.

Risks: While walking is quite gentle, some first-timers should proceed with caution to reduce risk of injury. I'm especially careful with this when trying to get my grandmother to be a little more active.

Tips and Tricks: There are none. Just get it done!

2. Running

Best For: Moderate to advanced individuals who want to enhance their endurance.

Running is a tad bit more strenuous that walking. There is an increased demand on the body and heart rate that helps to increase aerobic activity, extend your endurance, and burn more calories. Your running form and choice of footwear can have a significant effect on injury risks as it may relate to shin splints, or fractures.

Details:

Cost: Luckily, $0! Again, you should have a pair of used, or unused kicks laying around.

Calories Burned: A 5 mph pace can burn upwards of 288 calories in 30 minutes. Caloric burn can increase as the mph increases.

Targeted Muscles: The same as walking, but with more emphasis on glutes and upper body movement.

Risks: The American College of Sports Medicine states that running has some of the highest injury risks amongst other forms of cardio. If you happen to get injured while running, apply RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation). Seek medical attention.

Tips and Tricks: A strong core helps to maintain form and posture as you fatigue.

3. Swimming

Best For: Full-body, low-impact cardio that may be a little more strenuous, but easy on the joints.

Swimming is one of the top five most popular forms of cardio in the United States. Unike other forms of cardio, this is truly a full-body workout that hits every major muscle group that improves your endurance and strength. Swimming is also a low-impact sport that is ideal for injury rehab, seniors, and people at all fitness levels.

Details:

Cost: Unless you happen to have a pool at home, membership fees for gyms, recreation centers, or a pool facility can range from free to upwards of $80/month. Your choice, health is wealth.

Calories Burned: General swimming can burn up to 200 calories in 30 minutes. To increase caloric expenditure, increase the swimming.

Targeted Muscles: ALL MAJOR MUSCLE GROUPS.

Risks: Swimming is a generally safe exercise. Provided that you actually know how to. Those who are pregnant, have a chronic disease like MS, or have respiratory health concerns like asthma, can benefit most from this form of exercise.

Tips and Tricks: KNOW HOW TO SWIM! You can use a kickboard to build strength and improve your technique if you struggle with this form of cardio.

4. Machine-Assisted Cardio: Cycling and Rowing

Best For: Strength building, and those who want to push their limits, and burn more calories.

Cycling and rowing are excellent excerises if you want to push your heart rate and lung capacity to their limits. While they're each a form of cardio, they're also unique in their significant strength-building aspects.

Cycling will augment your lower body endurance, while rowing is more of a total body movement. Rowing is estimated to use roughly 35% upper body and 65% lower body. Both, however easily increases your lung capacity.

Details:

Cost: A stationay bike, or rowing machine can cost anywhere from $500 to thousands of dollars. A cheaper alternative, a gym membership.

Calories Burned: Vigorous cycling can burn up to 280 calories in 30 minutes; vigorous rowing burns about 370 calories. Notice the word vigorous.

Targeted Muscles: ALL MAJOR MUSCLE GROUPS

Risks: Always warm up before doing any form of exercise. Especially high-intensity exercise. Watch your form. Poor cycling form can increase lower back pain.

Tips and Tricks: Your goal isn't always time, consider power output as well. Set the resistance where it's confortable. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself.

The Best Form of Cardio is What Works for You

• Walking is applicable to everyone regardless of age, or fitness level.
• Ease into every form of cardio in order to increase your results and burn more calories.
• Enjoy every cardio session, add variety.
• Push yourself

Whatever you choose, don't be afraid to push/challenge yourself.

TRAIN THE MIND, THE BODY WILL FOLLOW!

Keaton

Tell a friend to tell a frend, to tell a friend.

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