Cardiovascular exercise is often associated with improving the health of our hearts and lungs, but did you know that it can also have significant benefits for our arms? Engaging in cardio for your arms can help improve muscle tone, strength, and endurance, leading to numerous physical and mental health benefits.
One of the main benefits of cardio for the arms is improved muscle tone. When we engage in cardiovascular exercises that involve the arms, such as running, swimming, or cycling, we are using the muscles in our arms to propel us forward. This repetitive motion can help tone and define the muscles in our arms, resulting in a more sculpted and lean appearance.
Cardio exercise that involves the arms can also lead to improved arm strength. As we continue to engage in cardio workouts that use the arms, the muscles in our arms are forced to work harder and become stronger. This increased strength can have a variety of practical benefits, such as making it easier to lift heavy objects or perform everyday tasks that require arm strength.
Another benefit of cardio for the arms is improved endurance. When we engage in cardio workouts that use the arms, we are essentially training our muscles to work harder and for longer periods of time. This increased endurance can help us perform better in other areas of our lives, such as sports or physical activities that require arm strength and stamina.
Here are some examples of activities that are great cardio for improving strength and tone of your arms:
1. Swimming: The water doesn’t just cool you off: It provides full-body resistance you don’t encounter on land. Your arms are key for propelling you forward, so you’ll sculpt strong, sleek swimmer’s arms while burning as many as 680 calories an hour.
2. Cardio machines with movable handles: Focus on pushing and pulling with every stride. Start by doing 1 minute with arms/1 minute without, and gradually increase. If your machine doesn’t have handles, bend your elbows and pump your arms as though you’re power walking.
3. Rock climbing: Grasping overhead handholds gives your upper body a fresh workout, and you can blast up to 750 calories an hour as you figure out the best route to the top. Find indoor climbing facilities nationwide at indoorclimbing.com.
4. Kickboxing classes: Throwing punches and jabs is a great way to get your heart pumping and melt up to 680 calories an hour. Get two free 20-minute routines to try at exercisetv.tv (just click on “kickboxing”).
5. Canoeing or kayaking: Paddling down a river is the perfect family adventure, and it burns up to about 500 calories an hour.
6. Walking with poles: Studies show it can boost your calorie burn by more than 20 percent without making your walk feel any harder.
