How Much Cardio?
The question is certainly up for debate, and there are many theories, but I go with the majority and say: “Well…it really depends.” A lot of it is simply based on preference. How much cardio do you need versus how much do you want?
The bare minimum for a productive cardio workout, one in which your cardiovascular system is progressively challenged, is twenty minutes of consistently keeping your heart rate up two to three times a week.
That’s all it takes to reduce your risk for heart disease and to burn calories. And the nice thing about this particular measuring stick is that as you advance, so does the effort it takes to keep your heart rate up.
Now, that twenty minutes doesn’t count your warm up or cool down and those are certainly not things you want to skip. I recommend five minutes of stretching before hand, then a starting five minutes of an easy jog to get the coordination in place, and at the end, another five minutes of fast walking or light jogging to bring yourself back to normal.
But think about it. Seventy minutes a week for a full cardio work out is not much to ask. As always, it’s the effort you put in those seventy minutes that matters.
Of course, that’s assuming that you want to do as little cardio as possible. If, however, you enjoy cardio, then it doesn’t make sense to limit yourself to the basics. If you find it hard to work out indoors, consider compensating with a weekly long distance run.
Others prefer the more social aspects of organized classes such as jazzercise or urban rebounding. In the end, whatever the purists say, I think that if it gets you moving, that’s what you should do.
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