Cardio is any healthy exercise that leads to an increase in heart rate and respiration and also raises oxygen and blood flow throughout the body, this form of activity is also called cardiovascular exercise. Cardio is considered an exercise that burns more calories during the workout and that’s why it is an ideal workout for weight loss.
During the activity, oxygen is involved in the cellular reactions that produce the energy which is mandatory to support the activity. Your heart pumps faster because of the increase in heart rate and you breathe to a great extent to maximize the amount of oxygen in your blood which helps you to use more oxygen effectively. Thus, you feel more energetic and can’t be tired rapidly.
Cardiovascular exercise also called aerobic or endurance exercise is a type of activity that uses aerobic metabolism. It’s a process in which oxygen is used to produce energy from carbohydrates (sugars).
Cardio activities are a great way to burn calories and thus 30 minutes can leads to:
- Running: 295 calories
- Jogging: 200-500 calories
- Swimming: 255 calories
- Hiking: 185 calories
- Walking: 140 calories
- Bicycling: 255 calories
If talking about a 30-minutes cardio exercise, running is the winner which is one of the exercises that burns more calories. Bicycling, swimming, and jogging can also be the best options.
- Types of cardio:
If we want to categorize the impact of cardio, it can be divided into three categories as follows:
- High-impact cardio:
Any cardiovascular activity involving both feet off the ground at any random point during the exercise is called high-impact cardio. Jumping rope, and high-impact aerobic dance (any physical activity that makes you sweat and causes you to breathe harder, and gets your heart beating faster than at rest) can relate to high-impact cardio.It can also be called a weight-bearing exercise because we have to go against the force of gravity to support our body weight with the limbs (arms, legs, wings, flippers). - Low-impact cardio:
In straightforward words, any cardiovascular activity during which one foot remains on the ground at all times is termed low-impact cardio. Low-impact cardio is one of the best cardio as it not only sustainably builds muscles but also there are fewer chances of strain and injury. It is considered one of the best exercises. One needs to get along for some more time to burn more calories. And once the fitness level is increased, the faster pace for a long time is tolerable. Low-impact cardiovascular exercises like swimming, cycling, and walking can be both safe and effective as these moves are generally easier on the joints than high-impact exercises like running or jumping rope. - No-impact cardio:
Water-based cardiovascular exercises can be categorized as no-impact cardio, the reason to refer to no-impact cardio is when a body is underwater, the gravitational pull on the body decreases. Unlike this, bicycling is also a no-impact cardio exercise because most of the body weight is supported by the frame and tires of the bike. There’s a misconception about low-impact cardio that it’s not effective. That’s wrong as it’s a wonderful way of cardio and helps in improving overall health and fitness in a much gentler and more accessible way. This exercise is beneficial under the condition of energy rehabilitation. It’s a great option for fat loss and hence works best as a 30-minute cardio
- Benefits of cardio:
Cardio is one of the best ways to improve health and thus reduce weight. Moreover, it has other effects on a human which includes:
- Blood pumps effectively
- Lowers the blood pressure
- Strengthens the immune system
- Enhances sleep
- Braces the mental health
- Boosts the functionality of the brain
- Controls the blood sugar
- This leads to a healthy weight
- Blood pumps effectively:
Having a cardio workout on regular basis can help improve heart health, this is also helpful in lowering cholesterol levels and minimizing the risk of heart disease. Almost like doing a biceps curl trains your arm muscles, cardio exercise gives a tough time to the heart. This results in blood flowing more efficiently throughout the body and strengthens the heart. Hard work pays off, perform this fitness exercise by setting just thirty minutes timer during your busy schedule. - Lowers blood pressure:
A study carried out in 2015 reveals that exercise is key to handling and preventing hypertension i.e., high blood pressure. Hypertension can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or even dementia which is caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain.The researchers noticed that cardio workout consistently leads to lower systolic (measurement of pressure in arteries when the heart beats) and diastolic blood pressure (measurement of pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats) pressure in common people with hypertension. It may also work to immediately reduce systolic blood pressure for almost 24 hours. - Strengthens the immune system:
Want to beat the cold season? You are lucky. According to a study in 2020 review, regular endurance exercise is beneficial for a stronger immune system.Getting your cardio workout regularly also helps to keep your blood cells and cytokines (a type of protein) healthy. Both of these components are mandatory for immune system regulation. - Enhances sleep:
Are you having trouble sleeping or have insomnia? Try out a 30-minute cardio session during waking hours. It helps a lot in sleep and enhances sleeping patterns. It will probably trigger that as running out on the treadmill can enhance your sleep to a great extent. According to research, older adults may benefit the most, research suggests that everyone will likely have a windier trip to Dreamland with a little extra cardio. According to a brief study in 2013 study people with insomnia (inability to sleep found that consistent exercise led to improved sleep quality. - Braces the mental health:
Cardio workout releases endorphins (They are chemicals that are released during pleasurable activities) and serotonin (It is a chemical messenger of nerve cells in the brain and all over the body). Its function is to improve mood, kill anxiety and depression, and also reduce loneliness. Thus, 30 minutes of cardio can be your best therapy. - Braces the mental health:
Cardio not only improves the physical fitness of bones and muscles but also plays an effective role to let the brain perform its functions properly. According to research performed at the University of British Columbia, researchers revealed that regular endurance exercise acquires the heart and sweat gland pumping, which leads to an uplift in the size of the hippocampus (which is a complex brain structure embedded deep into the temporal lobe). This area is involved in verbal memory and learning. - Braces the mental health:
The benefits of aerobic exercises are kept underrated, for people having diabetes. Exercise helps control weight, lower blood pressure, and lower harmful LDL cholesterol.Many studies have revealed the benefits of the exercises. Following are some results.- Exercise reduces HbA1c (which is a blood test that measures the average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months) values by 0.7 percent in people having distinct ethnic groups with diabetes who were taking the different remedies and practicing a mixture of diets. They have improved their blood sugar despite losing weight.
- These anytime fitness exercises have helped to reduce insulin resistance.
- Leads to healthy weight:
We have heard this many times, exercise helps to preserve a healthy weight. To lose weight, you need to build a calorie deficit. The number of calories you intake needs to be less than the number of calories you burn. The amount of exercise you perform in a week defines how much weight you want to lose.According to the research of the US Department of Health and Human Services, 75 to 150 minutes of robust-intensity aerobic exercise is required per week to feel considerable changes.Performing strength-training activities that include all major muscle groups (chest, back, shoulder, legs, and arms) should be done twice a week.If anyone wants to lose one pound (0.45 kilogram) each week, one needs to build a 3,500-calorie deficit, which means he/she needs to burn 3,500 more calories than they intake in one week.
- Time to get the most out of cardiovascular:
According to the research, the capability of an average healthy body to give its best is in the afternoon, and the time includes between 1 p.m to 4 p.m. You can also easily understand that during this time of the day the temperature comes to its peak, so on the contrary to this the body temperature will also be the highest, and also the muscle function and strength will be at the upper level.
Exercising during this window of time will be more beneficial and you can make the most out of it. Thus, try to get 30 minutes for cardio during the above-mentioned time and leave all other engagements aside for the 30 minutes. You can do it on all your own and this doesn’t require any personal trainer.
- Circuit training: The best of cardiovascular (endurance) exercises:
Exercises performed successively with deviating amounts of breaks are known as circuit training.
If you are a beginner then the most crucial benefit of circuit training is, it’s a boredom buster. Sounds astonishing how training can be a boredom buster. If you are new to this one fact that is noticeable, the individual always looks at the clock during workouts and counts every second until it’s over. If this has become a regular habit and this is constantly affecting your workout routine, then circuit training is a must-try.
But the real problem is how to build a circuit training workout. If the mind is ready for circuit training, then the very next thing you should do is build a circuit training workout.
Circuit training workouts may consist of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, chin-ups, lunges, etc.
Try setting up a timer. Circuit training workouts are based on a set number of “stations” that you do periodically until time runs out. Keeping in mind the time you have to utilize can comfort you to decide the number of circuits required to complete and how hard you require to work.
- Crunches: 15 to 20 repetitions.
- Jump Rope: 60 seconds.
- Bench Dips: 10 to 15 repetitions
- Lunges: 30 seconds
- Chin-ups: 30 seconds
- Squats: 30 seconds
Do take regular breaks between the workout sessions. Let your heart rate slow down and then go back to your circuit training as several times you focused on your training with complete dedication.
- Conclusion:
Hard things do take time and once they are achieved, there is no way to go back. The same thing implies to fitness. Everyone can achieve this by performing cardio workouts passionately. The key here is to be consistent, through which you’re going to achieve your health and fitness goals. One doesn’t observe the weight loss change in a day, 15 days, or even a month. But if one remains consistent only then changes are observed.
All you need to do is to spare 30 minutes of your hectic schedule for cardio. In the beginning, it’s not about the intensity but the philosophy here is consistency. Start by setting up a timer for 1800 seconds five days a week. Mix up intensities and other activities to keep it going more interestingly. Cardio exercises are better than the other workouts as it requires no equipment and you don’t have to hit the gym. Remind yourself that the short-term intensity isn’t equal to the long-term results.
For long-time success, consistency is the vehicle that helps in achieving long-term results. So once start up a routine that is practical, easy, and more enjoyable. And only then one could observe the changes in the overall day. As it reflects through your overall lifestyle and helps boost your mood and thus is effective with the other task and you feel more energetic and active. So, 30 minutes of cardio is a great start, and then by remaining consistent the goal of a healthy lifestyle could be achieved.
