Are you a cardio lover or hater? Whether you love it or hate it, there are some advantages to participating in regular cardio workouts.
When it comes to getting in shape, many people think that the best way to do it is by lifting weights. While this is an excellent way to build muscle, you can’t neglect cardio if you want to see actual results. For many people, workouts are all about lifting weights.
But if you’re not including cardio in your routine, you’re missing out on many benefits. Here are ten advantages of doing cardio exercises regularly.
1. Higher resting metabolic rate:
People who participate in cardio exercises regularly tend to have a higher resting metabolic rate (RMR). The RMR is the number of calories your body burns while you’re inactive. If you want to lose weight, it’s essential to boost your RMR because it will help you burn more fat every day.
Cardio exercise can help you burn more calories when not exercising and during your workouts. It means that calorie-burning benefits continue long after your cardio sessions are over. If you find yourself being tempted by food, try pushing through it. Your body will thank you later by burning more calories and fat even when it’s not working out.
2. Cardio helps keep your heart healthy:
Scientists believe that, by doing cardio exercises regularly, you can cut your risk of heart disease between 40 and 70 percent. It is mainly because the movement helps circulate blood around the body more efficiently.
According to researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, who published their findings in 2010, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the best way to lower your risk of heart disease. If you participate in regular cardio workouts, you’ll be able to keep your heart healthy and strong. It means less chance of early death due to a heart attack or stroke.
3. Regular cardio workouts can decrease your blood pressure:
According to researchers from the University of Utah, who published their findings in 2013, steady cardio workouts can reduce blood pressure levels by 5 – 6%. They found that doing aerobic exercise regularly can have a beneficial effect on your blood vessels.
A study, which Kent State University did, showed that reducing your risk of high blood pressure is easy when you get your heart rate up regularly. In this study, participants performed either aerobic exercises or resistance training. The group doing aerobic exercises lowered their blood pressure by 9% more than the other group did during their workouts.
4. Cardio workouts can lead to significant weight loss:
If you want to lose weight, doing cardio is your best bet. According to researchers at the University of Western Australia, who published their findings in 2009, participants who did aerobic training twice a week for six months could lose more weight than those who didn’t. Those who did cardio lost about two total pounds more on average than those who didn’t do any workouts.
It can help you burn more calories, which leads to weight loss and toning. Cardio exercises like running and cycling burn many calories, especially when you do them at a high-intensity level. If you find running or cycling too intense, there are other cardio workouts such as rowing, elliptical training, and jumping rope that can also help you lose weight. Or even treadmill runs can help. You can use a treadmill with best shock absorption to help you with heavy cardio workouts so you can increase the intensity level by level.
5. Helps you tone your muscles:
When you make your body work harder during a workout, like by doing cardio, it produces more of what is known as “heat shock” proteins. These are critical for muscle growth and repair. Don’t forget that muscle is one of the biggest calorie burners in your body.
If you want to lose weight and tone up, it’s essential to build and tone your muscles. When your muscles are toned, you have the appearance of being more physically fit. If you want to tone up a specific area of your body, cardio workouts can help you achieve this goal. A study done at Ball State University found that people who did 25 minutes of aerobic exercises three times per week for six months could tone their abs, thighs, arms, and other problem areas.
6. Cardio increases endurance:
Many people equate weight lifting with working out, but they seem to forget about the importance of cardio. If done regularly, cardio will help you build endurance, which is crucial for many aspects of day-to-day life.
For example, if you are running late to work every morning but would like to make it more of a habit to be on time, it may help your cause to incorporate more cardio into your schedule. People who incorporate cardio into their exercise routine tend to find more energy throughout the day. If you participate in cardio workouts regularly, your heart and lungs will become stronger. It not only allows you to run longer and further, but it also helps during weight training sessions.
7. Injury prevention:
People who engage in regular cardio workouts tend to experience less joint pain than those who do not. For example, if you participate in a high-impact activity like running regularly, you are more likely to feel some knee pain eventually. However, if you engage in low-impact exercises like cycling or swimming, your risk of injury is much lower.
Your muscles will not only become more robust and leaner, but cardio workouts also help to develop your heart and lungs as well. While lifting weights is an excellent way to tone your body, if you want to be healthy and fit, you must do some cardio exercise. Cardio offers other ways to protect yourself from injury. Jumping rope and swimming can help you stay in shape while keeping your joints healthy.
8. Cardio can improve your mood:
Whether you’re feeling anxious, depressed, or just downright grumpy, cardio can help improve your mood as long as you keep it challenging. The idea is to push yourself so that the endorphins released during a good workout can give you a satisfying “high.” Cardio exercise releases endorphins which help improve your mood.
It also helps bring oxygen to your brain, improving mental functions such as memory and reasoning skills. It’s also true that other forms of cardio can help as long as you keep it challenging enough.
Conclusion: In addition, cardio exercise is great for people who have active lifestyles but are stuck in sedentary jobs where they sit at a desk all day. It only makes sense that if you combine weight training and cardio into a workout program, you’ll be able to reap better and faster results than focusing on just one type of exercise.
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