As much as I would like to be like my friend Rachel who genuinely enjoys running (she’s completed 12 half marathons and one full one ),I just can’t seem to get into it. I would much rather lift weights for an hour than go run around the block for five minutes. It’s the same for any form of cardio, actually, be it cycling, swimming, or rowing. If there’s not a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell involved, I’m not a happy camper until the session is over, and by that time, a cheerful army of endorphins has invaded my system, temporarily convincing me that cardio is the best thing since sliced (and sprouted) bread.
However, as is the case with many things in life, just because I don’t particularly enjoy cardio workouts doesn’t mean I should avoid them. They’re good for me. There’s a reason why we include them in our programming at CrossFit 925 and why I program them for my own personal-training clients. Actually, there are multiple reasons:
8 Reasons You Shouldn’t Skip Cardio:
It’s Great for the Ticker!
The name “cardio” suggests its primary benefit, namely that it keeps our heart muscle healthy and strong. Five years ago, when I was just lifting weights and playing tennis every so often, I would get winded climbing a flight of stairs. The reason for this was simply that my heart needed exercise!
The health of your heart depends on how efficiently you train it. Changing up your workouts is a terrific way to ensure that it keeps getting stronger instead of stagnating.
Instead of walking on the treadmill for an hour or cruising on the elliptical for 30 minutes, try mixing it up. Do some H.I.I.T. (high intensity interval training) with your cardio. An example would be to sprint for 15 seconds, then slow down to a jog or speed walk for 45 seconds, and repeat that sequence 15 times. This will not only keep you on your toes (quite literally), but it will also be a much more efficient method of improving heart health than 30 or 60 minutes of monotonous treadmill walking.
It Improves Your Hormonal Profile
I mentioned endorphins above, and it’s true that cardiovascular activity releases “feel-good” hormones that can boost your mood, decrease fatigue, fight depression, and suppress your appetite.
Shorter, more intense interval or sprint training (30 minutes or less) optimizes the hormonal profile of catecholamines (these include norepinephrine and dopamine, ) cortisol, HGH (human growth hormone), and testosterone to maintain muscle and preferentially burn more calories even after the workout is over. Moreover, the higher the intensity of the workout, the more sugar we use to fuel it.
It Boosts Immunity
This is partly due to the cortisol/stress effects of cardio. Have you ever gotten sick on vacation? Cortisol (a stress hormone) decreases on vacation and, as a result, our immune defenses are weakened. Goes to show that a little physical stress isn’t all bad!
It Speeds Up Your Metabolism
Not only does cardio exercise elevate your heart rate, it also increases the rate of various other processes in the body, also known as your metabolism.
Short-duration, high-intensity cardio sessions have been proven to boost metabolism more than any other form of cardiovascular exercise. The increase in enzymes and cell structures during this type of cardio occurs at a greater magnitude than in long-duration, low-intensity training. These workouts burn plenty of calories during the session and even more calories after the workout, according to a 2009 article published in “Strength and Conditioning Journal.”
It Can Boost Functionality
Sprinting boosts power, speed, flexibility, and even can build muscle. So channel your inner Eric Liddell and hit the track if you feel like unleashing your inner athlete!
NOTE: Warm up especially well if you’re planning on sprinting. High kicks, high knees, butt kicks, and leg swings are among my favorite pre-sprinting exercises.
It Aids Your Ability to Recover
Lower, more moderately paced forms of cardio can decrease the time it takes your body to recover from previous workouts. If you have just performed a tough lifting session, hopping on the treadmill for a light jog, or even just a walk, will help to remove some of the by-products that were created while you were weightlifting.
The removal of these by-products, things like lactate, will help to reduce the dreaded DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) and help bring more oxygen-rich blood to the muscle tissue, which will further assist with the repairing and rebuilding process. You’ll benefit from this by being able to get back into the gym sooner without feeling fatigued and beat up.
It Helps Manage Diabetes
If you’re diabetic, cardio can help you manage this condition because it increases your muscles’ ability to utilize glucose. Cardiovascular exercise can help burn extra glucose in the body and also decrease resistance to insulin, two effects that are great for diabetes control.
As always, people with diabetes should keep their healthcare providers well informed of anything that can affect their health. Doing cardio definitely falls into this category. Talk to your doctor about what kind of exercise is best for you, and be sure to bring up any questions or concerns that arise as your exercise routine progresses.
It’s Good for the Soul
Leisure walking, especially when it’s in nature, is an effective way to lower stress. This sort of cardio should feel relaxing, so leave any hyper puppies at home! Getting your Vitamin D is also an added perk.
When you’re walking at your own pace, your cognitive performance improves. More specifically, your working memory – what helps you reason and learn – is better than it is when you’re sitting still. If you’re in a rush or walking slower than you want to be, you won’t get the memory boost.
There are additional benefits of walking when it’s done outdoors. Being in daylight helps keep our circadian rhythms appropriately aligned with the place in which we live. When they’re not aligned, we experience stress and don’t sleep well. Being in daylight also improves our mood and general feelings of well-being.
Without a doubt, cardio should have a place in your weekly workout schedule. How many sessions and how long they should last really depends on what your goals are, but generally speaking, if your goal is to be lean and mean with a healthy heart, then I suggest H.I.I.T. routines because they enable you to simultaneously increase your aerobic and anaerobic endurance while burning fat. And, an added bonus, they don’t require a lot of time!
If you’re in the market for some at-home high-intensity routines, check out my Perfect Fit series below! It contains over 100 workouts with step-by-step instructions and photos to walk you through each one.
I’ll be back next week with a few of my personal favorite rowing and running routines. In the meantime, leave a comment below or tweet me at @dandersontyler to let me know your thoughts on cardio!
