Cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is a type of exercise that gets your heart rate up. It includes exercises like running, cycling, jumping rope, playing sports, swimming, and rowing.
With aerobic exercise, your body relies on oxygen for energy. When you do aerobic exercise, your heart rate goes up and you breathe more heavily to get oxygen into your body. This is different than anaerobic exercise, which uses stored energy in the body (like glucose) rather than oxygen as the main source of energy.
There are benefits to both aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. Today, we’re going to look at some of the reasons why you might want to do cardio.
1. Build Endurance
Aerobic exercises help build endurance. By gradually building up how much cardio you do, you can increase your stamina so you can work out longer without getting exhausted. This means that cardio is often a good choice for people just getting started with fitness. It’s also helpful to do some cardio as part of an established fitness routine.
2. Improve Health
Medical studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce a person’s risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. According to the Mayo Clinic, it can even reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. It’s also good for mental health, helping boost your mood.
3. Get Stronger
Over time, aerobic exercises strengthen your heart and lungs. It can also improve bone and muscle fitness. Plus, this type of exercise strengthens your immune system. You shouldn’t get sick with things like a cold or flu as often as you would if you weren’t doing cardio.
4. Lose Weight
Combined with a healthy diet, cardio is one of the types of exercise that can help you burn calories and lose weight.
5. Vary Workout Routine
Cardio doesn’t have to be the only type of exercise you do, but even if it is you have several options to help keep it from getting boring. Varying your routine also helps with overall fitness, so you’re not working the same muscle groups each time.
Whether you’re new to fitness or want to optimize your current fitness routine, Extreme Studio Performance is the place to be. Our expert trainers can help you find engaging ways to incorporate cardio into your routine and help you hit your fitness goals. Contact us today for a free tour and fitness evaluation.