What Is Cardio Training?
Cardio training also called aerobic exercise is any activity that uses large muscle groups in a continuous, rhythmic fashion for sustained periods of time. Examples of cardio activity include, running, walking, aerobics, jazzercise, cycling, swimming, skiing, and rowing. Even circuit training is considered somewhat aerobic because you are constantly moving from one exercise to the next.

Why You Need It?
Regular cardio training helps prevent a variety of diseases including heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. In addition to these health benefits you can also expect to have more energy, higher endurance, and less stress, as well as sleep better, burn more calories, and have an easier time controlling your weight.

Recommendations
If you're strictly interested in making health improvements, The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30-45 minutes of aerobic training 3-5 days a week. You can benefit from 3 days as much as you can from 5 days as long as the amount is between 30 and 45 minutes. If you're interested in weight loss, the ACSM recommends 30 minutes of cardio training 5 days a week. With weight loss frequency is the key. In other words doing cardio training 45 minutes 3 times a week will not be as effective as doing 30 minutes 5 times a week.

Getting Started
The best way to get started is to avoid over-thinking and just do it! Start walking, riding your stationary bike or doing an aerobics video/dvd regularly. Set a goal that you can live with and try to achieve that goal each week for the following 3 weeks. For example; if two days a week of cardio training is all you can handle in the beginning, then set that as your goal. After 3 weeks you can change your goal and increase it to 3 or 4 days a week for another three weeks. Your ultimate goal is to work up to 5 days a week of cardio training.

Challenging Yourself
Once your fitness level begins to improve, you will need to increase the intensity of your cardio training in order to avoid fitness and weight loss plateaus. You can do this by incorporating high intensity intervals into your existing cardio program. If you walk or bike at a fairly consistent pace for 30 minutes try speeding it up for 1 minute every five minutes. If you use an aerobics video you can up the intensity by watching one of the more advanced participants and trying to keep up with them for 30-60 seconds at a time. As you become more fit, you can try all types of combinations.

For example:
Walk for 10 minutes
Run for 30 seconds
Walk for 5 minutes
Run for 30 seconds
Walk for 3 minutes
Sprint for 1 minute
Walk for 10 minutes

The key is to constantly challenge your body so you lose fat and weight more rapidly. Another benefit of incorporating intervals into your cardio program is it alleviates boredom.

Guides and Programs to Help You Get Started:
Walk Your Way to Fitness
Cardio Coach Guided Workout CD
The Best Exercise Videos
Kick Butt Cardio

Try Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds


Have a question?