Cardio exercise, also known as aerobic exercise or cardiovascular exercise, is a form of physical activity that raises your heart rate and increases your breathing. It helps to improve your cardiovascular system while developing and maintaining your overall health and fitness levels.
There is a range of different cardio exercises to choose from. For example, some popular cardio exercises include running, cycling, swimming, rowing, brisk walking, dance aerobics, kickboxing and step aerobics.
Depending on your individual fitness levels, goals and preferences, the duration of cardio exercises can vary. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, then depending on your current weight and fitness level, you may need to include around 20 minutes of cardio in your workout routine.
Cardio exercises are suitable for most people, regardless of age. It is especially beneficial for those who suffer from health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
However, there are many myths that surround cardio, causing people to avoid it altogether. In this blog, we’re going to debunk them all!
Top 3 Cardio Exercise Myths Debunked
Myth 1: You Need to Do Cardio Every Day to See Results
A lot of people believe that if you don’t do cardio exercises every day, you will not see results. However, that is far from the truth.
The frequency of your cardio workouts, as well as the duration, solely depends on your unique goals, fitness levels and schedule. In fact, if you overdo cardio, it can actually be counterproductive and lead to burnout, injury or a decrease in performance.
Moreover, your body needs time to rest and recover in between and after every workout. It is only with sufficient rest that your body can rebuild muscle tissue and replenish energy stores. Instead of doing cardio every day, you can incorporate around two hours of moderate-intensity cardio or an hour of high-intensity cardio exercises into each week. This is especially true for beginners, who shouldn’t risk overdoing any exercise and hurting themselves in the process.
Myth 2: Only High-impact Cardio can Bring Results
When it comes to exercise, most people like to believe that if it isn’t high-intensity, it won’t give you results. However, this is not true, especially for cardio exercises. While high-impact cardio exercises, like running or jumping, are necessary for a good workout, they are not suitable for everyone and can prove to be harmful to people with certain health conditions or injuries.
Low-impact cardio exercise is just as effective at improving cardiovascular fitness, burning calories and maintaining health. Moreover, low-impact exercises help you avoid putting unnecessary stress on your joints and are accessible to a wider range of people.
Some examples of low-impact cardio include walking, cycling or swimming. You can also try variations of these exercises to make them more fun. For instance, a variation of a walking cardio exercise is power walking. Additionally, low-impact cardio can still be challenging if done at a higher intensity, such as cycling at a high resistance level.
Myth 3: You Can’t Build Muscle With Cardio Exercise
Another common myth about cardio exercise is that it is only good for burning calories but not effective for building muscle. However, cardio exercise is in fact, a great way to build and tone muscles, especially when combined with strength training. This is because cardio exercise can help improve your muscular endurance. With improved muscular endurance, your muscles will have more ability to sustain prolonged activity.
This eventually leads to an increase in muscle size, strength and definition, especially in your lower body muscles, like the glutes, hamstrings and calves. Additionally, high-intensity cardio workouts, like interval training, can increase the production of your growth hormone. As the growth hormone stimulates the production of new muscle tissue and helps to repair damaged muscle fibres, your body will build and maintain muscle mass.
However, do note that while cardio exercise can help you build muscle, it is not as effective as strength training alone. When choosing your workout routine, consider your goals. For example, if you want to build significant muscle mass, you will need to incorporate strength training exercises, such as weight lifting and resistance training.
Contact Personal Trainer Mun to Get Fit Today!
Are you ready to introduce cardio to your workout routine? PT Mun is here to help!
I’m Mun Dhariwal, a fitness instructor and personal trainer with over 20 years of knowledge and experience in all things fitness and sports. No matter what you want out of your workout—from weight management to muscle building—I will help you build a structured plan to achieve your goals.
I provide a wide range of 1-2-1 training sessions, including boxing, combat training, strength training, HIIT, circuit training and much more. Moreover, I also provide a consultation to advise and assist you in living a healthier, fitter lifestyle.
Contact me to start your fitness journey today!