The word “cardio” is supposedly one of the first words you hear when you first start an exercise regime. You know that cardio exercise is necessary for any workout, whether you want to lose weight, stay fit, or get healthy. Health experts suggest 150 minutes of cardio exercise per week to decrease health risks. 

If you want to lose an ample amount of weight (more than 5% of body weight) and/or keep it off, you may need to do more than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. Getting a more traditional knowledge of cardio exercise may be all you need to drive you to do it a little more.

What is a cardio exercise?

Cardio exercise means doing a rhythmic movement that elevates your heart rate in your destination heart rate zone. It is the area where you will consume the most fat and calories. Even as little as 10 minutes of this exercise count towards your weekly cardio exercise minutes. 

Benefits of cardio exercise

When you understand how much cardio exercise you should do, you might want to start exercising soon. There are very few exercises you can do for a short time that have many advantages.

• Burns fat and calories fast
• Improves sleep quality
• Develops lung capacity
• Promotes sex life
• Improves bone density (weight-bearing cardio exercise)
• Decreases stress
• It creates a feeling of wellness and may also provide temporary relief from depression and anxiety
• Provides greater confidence in how you look and feel
• It decreases the risk of heart diseases, bad cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes.
• It energizes the heart so that it doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood.

An exceptional thing about cardio is that you don’t have to work out for an hour at a high intensity to get the advantages. Even a 15-minute walk can boost your spirit and improve blood pressure. Don’t feel like you have a lot of time and energy for cardio. You can do a little bit each day than doing nothing. With all the advantages listed above, you should see precisely how to choose your cardio exercise.

Choosing a Cardio Exercise

Now your first step is to figure out what kind of activities you want to do. The trick is to think about what is accessible to you, what fits your personality, and what you would feel comfortable fitting into your life. If you like to go out, run, cycle or walking are all excellent options.

If you prefer to go to the gym, you have many more options in stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, treadmills, rowing machines, climbers, pools, and more machines.

For home exercise, you can, of course, buy your treadmill or elliptical trainer, but there are other options as well:

• practice video
• fitness app
• Home Cardio Exercises Jumping rope, jumping jacks, jogging in place, planks, and more
• online workout programs

You have many options, but the trouble is, you may not even know what you like. You may need to try several different activities before you find the cardio that works for you. We all have to participate in this activity, and it can be hit or miss, so don’t be afraid to try something and, if it doesn’t work, move on to something else.

Here are great points to keep in mind:

• Be flexible. Don’t be afraid to branch out. The extraordinary thing about cardio is that you can choose any exercise that increases your heart rate up. You don’t need to do the same workout every time or every week. It’s easy to change your cardio. Try various things to find more activities that you enjoy.

• Pick something that you can do regularly. To meet the exercise recommendations, you need to do exercise 3 days per week. Make it easy to choose an activity that is suitable for you and make it a habit slowly.

• Do something you enjoy (or at least something you can afford). If you hate gym workouts, don’t force yourself on the treadmill. Walk, jog or bike to enjoy the scenery. If you enjoy socializing, consider sports, group fitness, working out with a friend, or a club.

• Keep it simple. If you are worried about what to do, start with an essential exercise. You need at least 20 minutes for the body to get into it. Get your calendar out and allocate just 20 minutes on three different days. You can do something like walking, running, or going to the gym. It would help if you first focused on cardio. Once it becomes a habit, then you should increase the time and intensity. 

How long should a cardio workout last?

When you choose what you want to do, the most crucial element of your workout will be how long you do it. It would help if you worked on duration before doing anything like high-intensity workouts; It takes time to build up the endurance for constant practice. Guidelines suggest anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes of cardio depending on the types of cardio you need to stay healthy, lose weight and stay fit. It is okay if you cannot do an hour of exercise. If you haven’t exercised in a while (or never), that’s too much for anyone.

Beginner workout

• To start, choose an accessible and easy exercise. It can be walking or a treadmill. Start with about 10 to 20 minutes of brisk walking at a moderate intensity. Once you are out of your comfort zone, about a level 5 or 6 at a perceived level of zero to 10, where sitting is zero and the highest level possible is 10.

Beginner workout options:

• Cardio for Complete Beginners: If you’re not sure where to start, this program will let you choose any machine or activity you’re comfortable with.

• Elliptical Workout: The elliptical is excellent for building muscle with low force. This exercise will give you an easy start.

• Stationary Bike Workout: This 20-minute workout is great if you are looking for a no-impact exercise.

The frequency of your exercises will depend on your health level and your schedule. The general guidelines are:

• For general health, you can go for moderate-intensity cardio for 5 minutes a day, three times a day, five days a week, or three days a week. You can also mix your exercises.

• If you wish to avoid weight gain and/or gain weight, you may need to do more than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. 

• To sustain a healthy body weight, about 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week is essential. 

What happens if you can’t follow the guidelines?

If you cannot follow the guidelines but still want to build endurance and conditioning, it may take some extra weeks to work your way up with more regular practice.

If you have a busy schedule that’s not letting you do your best, try to work out as many days as possible. You can also go for more short training workouts to make the most of the time you have.