5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Skip the Cardio

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Incorporating cardiovascular exercise, or cardio, into your weekly workout schedule is crucial for maintaining optimal health and fitness. Cardiovascular exercise involves engaging in activities that increase your heart rate and respiratory rate, such as running, cycling, swimming, or brisk walking. In this blog, we will explore the benefits of incorporating cardio into your weekly workout schedule.

1. Improves cardiovascular health

One of the most significant benefits of incorporating cardio into your weekly workout schedule is the improvement in your cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular exercise helps to strengthen your heart and increase its efficiency, which can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. It also helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which are risk factors for issues like aortic blockage and peripheral arterial disease.

2. Aids in weight loss

Contrary what many people say, cardio is an effective way to burn calories and lose weight. There’s a reason why, for decades, bodybuilders have ended their sessions with 20-minutes on the stairclimber. Engaging in cardio exercises regularly can help you create a calorie deficit, which means you are burning more calories than you are consuming. This leads to weight loss over time. Cardio is also effective in decreasing visceral fat, which is the fat that accumulates around your organs and can lead to various health problems.

3. Improves mental health

Cardio is also beneficial for your mental health. Engaging in cardio exercises releases endorphins, which are the “feel good” brain chemicals. It also lowers your stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol which will help balance feelings of anxiety or depression.

4. Increases exercise tolerance

Cardiovascular exercise can also increase your energy levels, kind of. Engaging in regular cardio can help to improve your endurance and stamina, allowing you to perform daily activities with more ease. This is what’s considered your exercise tolerance. It can also improve your sleep quality, which can help to increase your perceived energy levels throughout the day.

5. Improves overall fitness

Incorporating cardio into your weekly workout schedule can also help to improve your overall fitness. Cardiovascular exercise helps to improve your endurance, which can help you to perform other physical activities more effectively. Want to lift heavier weight for more reps? That’s going to be dictated by your ability to recover which comes from cardiovascular fitness.

By incorporating cardiovascular exercise into your weekly workout schedule you can reap numerous benefits for your physical and mental health. Whether you are looking to improve your cardiovascular health, lose weight, boost your energy levels, or improve your overall fitness, cardio is an effective and efficient way to achieve your goals. It is recommended to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio each week, but even adding small amounts of cardio to your weekly routine can provide significant benefits. If you’re completely out of your element when it comes to cardio training, join the best online program out there! There’s a no-risk 7-day free trial, so what are you waiting for?