cardio...
The friend you should stop ignoring
Many of you may be thinking to yourselves, “cardio is just not my idea of fun”. You may have an image in your head of huffing and puffing on a treadmill for 30 minutes, just counting down the minutes until you are done. But the truth is that cardio doesn’t have to be something you suffer through, and the reality is that it is essential to living an overall healthy lifestyle. |
For starters, let’s define what cardio actually is; cardio is any activity that moves the body continuously, using large muscles groups, and elevates the heart rate. The key is finding activities that you enjoy and then working to incorporate them into your daily life. Ideally we want to do something active on most (if not all) days of the week.
Here are some tips on how to make cardio your friend again: Get Outside Generally speaking, most people enjoy activities more when they get to do them outside in the fresh air and sunshine. The next time you get ready to be active, take that run/bike/walk outside for a different environment. Mix it Up Not only is doing the same thing every day boring, it is also not good for the body. For example, if you run all of the time you are placing a lot of stress on the lower body with the same repetitive high impact movement. Instead, pick a few different activities that you enjoy and rotate between them. This will help keep you motivated and also help to place less stress on the body. In addition, mixing up your routine will also keep your body guessing, which is important for seeing continued improvements and progress in your fitness level. If you do find yourself enjoying moving in the gym but are feeling like you need to change up your cardio routine and try something new, here are two often forgotten about pieces of cardio that you may have never used but should. Check out this video for a demonstration from our Trainer Damien. |
Make it Social
We typically enjoy things more when we do them with others. Whether you play a pickup game of basketball or grab a friend and go for a run outside, find people that enjoy doing similar activities as you. It is a great way to motivate each other to stay active and have fun together while you do it. Join a Fitness Class Sometimes when it comes to being active the biggest barrier is not knowing what to do or finding the motivation to get started. Taking a fitness class is a great way to try something new and get new ideas for how to mix up your cardio routine. Plus, having an instructor coach and lead you through a workout can help push you to accomplish more, especially on those days where motivation is lacking. |