Cardio is a great exercise for anyone that wants to become healthy without worrying about gym memberships, or weights. You can do cardio anywhere, from home to outdoors. There are also many different ways you can get your cardio fix, from sports to living room routines. However, if you are serious about increasing your cardio, here are some simple cardio tips that will help boost your endurance.
Choose the Right Workout
It is important to choose the right workouts for you if you want to maximize the benefits you gain from exercising. Everyone has different body types and shapes, so finding the right workout for yourself won’t be as simple as choosing to do what everyone else is doing. Consider weight differences or those with lingering limb, muscle, or joint pains for example; choosing workouts that are low impact will benefit you, in the long run, to keep you going with your active lifestyle.
The Right Equipment
Similar to choosing the right workout or exercises, you want to ensure that the equipment or gear that you use is suitable for the rigors of your sets. Things like selecting the right trainers or choosing the best bike for heavy people are key in creating comfort that will last through your routine. It is important to consider many factors that include durability, comfort, and price to name a few. Not following these simple cardio tips and not choosing the right gear for you can leave you feeling uncomfortable, and lower your desire to workout and stay motivated.
Varying the Exercises
Although you might select different workouts for different reasons, such as focusing on muscle groups, comfort levels, interest or enjoyment, it is also good practice to frequently change up your workouts and introduce a variety of different exercises in your routine. Having a variety of workouts is important for several reasons. Changing up your exercises can make your routines feel fresher and increase your interest and enjoyment, helping you stay focused and motivated. This translates to your cardio routine through changing your exercises from running and jogging, to cycling, swimming, or rowing. You can also keep things fresh by changing the paths you take on your routes. Additionally, changing up your workouts also is important for your muscle growth. By sticking with the same exercises and following these simple cardio tips, your body and muscles get used to the exercise itself and can slow down the benefits you gain.
Stay Hydrated
One of the most important things in any sort of exercise routine, not simply limited to cardio, but especially crucial to it, is staying hydrated. Any sort of high-intensity workouts or activities use a lot of your body’s fluids and runs the risk of dehydration. Water or energy drinks are important for ensuring that you replenish the nutrients your body consumes throughout your exercises. Because many cardio exercises are done outdoors, you are even more at risk of dehydration if you are exercising in higher temperatures, as your body works extra to keep you cool. Drinking water is important for your daily life, and even more necessary when working out.
Reduce Rest Periods
One way to increase the benefits you gain from your cardio sessions, and any workout for that matter is to reduce your rest periods. This means that you should either reduce the number of breaks you take or decrease the time of your breaks between reps or during sessions. When out on a run or cycling, if you are traveling on sidewalks or roads, use traffic stops to catch a breath, stretch or give yourself a small break. Running through trails or biking other places, of course, you should take breaks, but remember that you want to raise your heart rate and resting too often will hinder you from gaining the benefits of your exercise, so try to keep pushing through the temptation to stop.
Increase Intensity
In addition to reducing the number of breaks you take or reducing the break periods of your exercise routines, increasing your intensity will also boost the gains and benefits you see from your cardio. Higher performance means a higher heart rate and the rest of your body and muscles are working harder. If you want to lessen the amount of time you spend working out, increasing the intensity will help do that and still provide the same effects of longer, less intense exercise sessions.
There are so many ways that exercise can benefit your life, and with so many ways to improve your endurance, you need to simply find what works for you. This ranges from the exercises you choose, the intensity you work out at, and even the gear you have. Not every choice is universal, but the important thing is to get out there and get active.
