We all know that to lose weight it helps to engage in a weight loss cardio workout in addition to following a healthy diet plan, but exactly what is cardio, what are the benefits and what are the best cardio workouts? Here are some answers to those questions and some examples of weight loss cardio workouts.
The word Cardio comes from the word cardiovascular which, according to dictionary.com, means: of, pertaining to, or affecting the heart and blood vessels. Cardio exercise is exercise that raises your heart rate to a certain level for a certain period of time. To learn what that level is for you, do a search online for the term target heart rate zone
Cardio has many benefits that include helping you burn calories, helping your heart to grow stronger, and increasing your lung capacity. It also may help with better sleep and less stress.
Cardio helps you reach your weight loss goal by burning calories. Burning calories through exercise means that you can create a calorie reduction and lose weight without having to lower your daily calories as drastically. For example, if you need to lower your calorie intake to 1200 a day in order to lose weight, by burning 200 calories through exercise a day, you can eat 1400 calories instead. Since by eating 1400 instead of 1200 calories, you will not feel as hungry or deprived, you will have a better chance of sticking with your weight loss plan.
Here are some good cardio exercises divided into those usually done in a fitness center or home and then those usually done outside. Some people prefer to join a gym to workout while others prefer to engage in outdoor exercise activities and yet other like to mix things up. Finding a good cardio routine for the type of setting you prefer will make you more likely to stick with your program.
Good cardio routines for indoors:
1. Elliptical machine: This is a very popular machine at most fitness center. Many people feel that on this machine, they can burn more calorie than other machines in the same amount of time. A big advantage of this machine is that the feet are always in contact with the machine so there is little stress or impact on the joints
2. Stair Climber: A good cardio machine and is especially beneficial for working the large leg muscles.
3. Treadmill: Good machine for running indoors and for walking for those not yet able to handle the elliptical machine or stair climber.
Good cardio routines for outdoors:
1. Jogging/Running: An excellent cardio workout but puts a lot of stress on the joints.
2. Swimming: Much less impact and builds endurance as well as muscle strength.
3. Bicycling: Another good low impact outdoor activity.
The main point to remember when deciding on a weight loss cardio workout is to find something that you enjoy and that will raise your heart rate. Be sure to check with your doctor before beginning and then to engage in cardio activity for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week.
If you are like most people the answer is yes and no ' and usually in the order!
This article is going to go over a few reasons why the average weight loss cardio workout might actually be preventing you from losing weight. I want you to read very carefully because this just might change your entire perspective on exercising to lose weight with cardio.
By using "cardio", I am talking about using cardiovascular exercise on a basic cardio machine such as treadmills, rowing machines, upright or recumbent bikes, ellipticals, or any other common cardio machine you see at the gym or at a department store. This also refers to things such as walking outside or going for a bike ride.
It is very common see someone try to lose weight in the gym by getting on a cardio machine and trying to go for 30-60 minutes at a slow pace. They may try to do this 3, 4, or 5 days per week!
In the beginning 2-3 weeks, you see some results pretty quickly. The weight on the scale goes down and you are feeling great. Soon after however, the weight loss slows down and your progress comes to a crashing halt.
Let's go over 3 quick reasons why your hit a frustrating plateau with the normal cardio workout, and more importantly, how to avoid it completely.
Reason #1: It Is Boring!
Unless you are training for a triathlon or are a distance runner, you would more than likely have more engaging things to do with your time then being on a cardio machine for 30-60 minutes. A 60 minute cardio workout 3-5 days a week is a sure way to lose all enthusiasm for exercise and be really bored throughout the whole process.
Lots of people do whatever they can to distract themselves during their cardio workouts. The cover the timer with a towel, watch television, read books, or just about anything else to try and distract themselves.
Reason #2: You Burn Fewer Calories Each Time You Workout
Your body will adapt very quickly to doing a very slow and long weight loss cardio workout. Think about it like this. If you went outside and ran a mile right now it would feel pretty difficult if you were not already a conditioned runner. But what if you ran the same mile 5 days per week for the next two months? It would get easier. Your body would adapt to it because that is what it does best.
The same goes for the average weight loss cardio workout that lasts for 30, 45, or even 60 minutes. At first you might burn a lot of calories, but after doing the same type of cardio workout for too long, the body will become more efficient and will adapt.
This means that the workout that burned 300 calories in January might only be burning 150 calories in March! The only thing you can do it so longer or work harder. Neither one sounds like a very appealing option.
Reason #3: The Average Weight Loss Cardio Workout Does Not Stimulate Your Metabolism
Instead of focusing on the number of calories you burned during a single workout, I want you to instead focus on burning calories during the workout and for hours afterwards!
Research has shown that slow same speed cardio does next to nothing to stimulate your resting metabolism. This means that you workout for 45 minutes, burn 300 calories, and then negate the whole workout with a Gatorade afterwards.
How to Fix This Problem
Did you know that you can use a different type of cardio called interval training that can burn a lot of calories during the actual cardio workout and for hours afterwards as well?
When performed correctly, interval training is faster, more fun, and most importantly, has been shown in research to have a dramatic effect on your resting metabolism. What this means is that you might burn 350 calories during your cardio workout, then another 500 throughout the rest of the day!
Interval training is an excellent weight loss cardio workout option for this very reason. Interval training simply consists of using both high and low speeds and intensities at set points in your workout. It can be done on any cardio machine and can even be done walking outside!
If you are truly serious about achieving weight loss with a cardio workout, then learning more about interval training is an absolute must. Your will feel like you got twice the workout in half the time and have a lot more results to show for it!
Both Beth Campbell & Tom Gifford are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Beth Campbell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Real Estate and Cellulite. Beth Campbell holds a Masters degree in Counseling and writes about a variety of subjects. Having lost 122 pounds, her favorite subjects are and fi. Beth Campbell's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
Tom Gifford has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fat Loss, belly fat and Fitness. Are you frustrated with working hard in the gym and not seeing the results you want? Hello, my name is Tom Gifford, Certified Personal Trainer, and I have some important information that will be of great use to you. Come check out my website at. Tom Gifford's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.