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Posts Tagged ‘Cardio Exercise’

A good cardio workout is one of the corner stones of weight loss.

It’s almost impossible to lose weight without some form of cardio training.

But you need to know how to use cardio to burn fat, because surprisingly enough – just running/walking/swimming is not enough.

First, for those who don’t already know the answer:

“Why do I need cardio to burn fat?”

We need cardio to burn fat because in our daily routine we don’t use enough energy to do so.

Most diets are designed to lower our calorie consumption but that’s not enough.

You still need a way to actually burn fat cells and that’s where the cardiovascular workouts come in.

A proper cardio session should “cost” you around 600 calories,

When you’re on a diet, most of these 600 calories come from fat cells.

So this is why you need cardio to burn fat,

But now there’s another question:

“How to use cardio to burn fat?”

As I said before, simply running on a treadmill won’t do the job.

First there is a matter of heart rate,

If you want to burn fat you should keep your heart rate between 75-85% of your max heart rate.

If your heart rate goes above 85% you will be very hungry when you finish your workout.

In addition to monitoring your heart rate you should eat right.

Eating the right foods before and after a workout is very effective.

For example, if you eat a lot of sugar before your cardio exercise you’ll have a boost of energy at the beginning of your workout but you will feel very tired very quickly.

In a previous article, I discussed the components of a well-designed fitness program. Such a program should include cardio, strength training, flexibility, balance, and agility exercises. In this article, Jim Borden, a personal trainer with Fitness Together, a gym located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, takes a closer look at the cardio aspect of a fitness program.

Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio for short, is any type of activity that increases the work of the heart and lungs. Examples of cardio activities include walking, running, swimming, rowing, and biking. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines issued by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA), adults should get at least 30 minutes of moderately intense cardio (similar to a brisk walk), five days a week, or vigorously intense cardio (rapid breathing and an increase in heart rate) 20 minutes a day, three days a week. These represent minimum guidelines for individuals who are simply looking to improve their health.

The benefits of cardio are numerous. Cardio exercise can play a key role in weight loss, reduce stress, improve cholesterol levels, provide more energy, enable you to sleep better, and reduce the health risks associated with heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

There are different ways of losing extra body weight but cardio workout is one method that has gained enough popularity in the past few years. It has emerged as one of the most meaningful ways to lose weight and have a pleasant shape to your body in a record time. However, the key point that you need to understand is cardio exercise done at the right intensity can only be the best way of burning the excess fat really fast. The secret of a good cardio workout is to exercise until you start sweating. Once you start sweating you have to carry on that tempo for at least next 20 minutes, which may further help in maximum fat burning results.

Today there are many people suffering from obesity at different parts of the world following this exercising system and burning their extra fat. In fact, it is one of its own kinds of exercising that is good at burning fat because when the intensity of the cardio exercise gets increased the body in turn uses up a lot of energy to bring body under normal operating conditions. Gradually, the heart begins beating faster than its normal pace and the blood flow get increased further through your body. This entire process increases the metabolic rate, which finally burns more calories and reduces the weight. So if you looking forward to lose your extra body weight, cardio can surely be the best option. But not all cardio work out can result you in weight lose. Here are some of the most suitable cardio exercises or workouts that you can perform routinely:

Cystic acne is caused by hormonal imbalances and toxicity in our body and it can start with an irritated stomach lining.  Eating excess carbs can lead to all those conditions, and your skin can be in better condition on low carb than ever before.

Another thing that can cause breakouts is excessive cardio exercise that leaves your body acidic.  That happens when you workout at high intensity and the lactic acid builds up in your body to toxic levels.  Depending on the strength of your lymphatic and endocrine systems, this toxicity can take many days to clear out.  Antioxidants like Vitamin C can help getting rid of cystic acne, but it is best to workout at lower intensities most of the time.

If you are a runner who likes to race, you can do speed work at higher intensities one day a week, but do not keep it up for extended periods – do it in intervals.  If you do not race, workout at lower intensities and you will burn more fats and also keep your body from building up toxins from excessive acid build up. Gentle exercise is so much better for your health when you have cystic acne problem.
 
Pain and heaviness in the legs is a sign you are stressing your body. You would often get cystic acne breakouts when over-training and after intense efforts.  If you will work out more moderately the cystic acne might be minor.  Stay out of the mostly sugar burning zone in your workouts and that will probably help.

Have you ever tried getting up first thing in the morning and exercising?  Let’s face it; when faced with a comfortable bed versus an exhausting cardio workout to start off our day, more often than not sleep wills out.  I am going to talk about the advantages of doing cardio on an empty stomach in the morning. To summarize, certain research indicates that fasted cardio and sometimes fasted exercises trigger additional elimination of fat.  Others believe that exercise intensity is reduced in a fasted state and therefore fasted workouts aren’t as effective.  Even other people say that exercise on empty stomach actually causes a decrease in muscle mass. The only way to decide who’s right is to inform yourself.  

The basic reason people give for doing morning cardio is that you will eliminate more fat more quickly because your body is working with lowered glycogen or carb levels. You might have heard fitness experts state that you have to workout for 20 minutes prior to burning any fat during a cardio exercise. The reason for this is the same. If you go to work out on a full stomach, on the other hand, glycogen levels will be full, and before your body can begin burning fat, it must burn up those stores.   Of course, this theory doesn’t just apply to morning cardio.  If you do cardio exercises or weight lifting after fasting (going between 3 and 4 hours between meals) you will receive the same fat elimination advantages. In principle, working out in the morning will give you the greatest benefits because your body will have used all its glycogen over night.

Cardiovascular workouts offer unparalleled health benefits. Aside from aiding in weight loss (when combined with strength training exercises), cardio exercises strengthens the heart and lung muscles, improves circulation by maximizing the amount of oxygen your body takes in and increases endurance and stamina. Because of these, cardio workouts lower blood pressure and thereby reduce one’s risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke and type II diabetes. What’s more, taking 10,000 steps a day has been proven to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

Still the benefits keep on coming. Cardio exercises activate the body’s immune system to protect the body from the onslaught of various diseases. It increases bone density, preventing osteoporosis especially in women, improves flexibility and increases one’s energy level. Cardio workouts release endorphins, makes the body feel good, reduces stress and relieves tension. It also increases confidence, promotes self-image and enhances self-esteem. It also enables one to sleep more soundly at night.

Cardio workouts that you can do at home may be done for 30-40 minutes each day, three to five times a week. There are always three parts to any cardio workout session: the warm up (which approximately lasts 10 minutes), workout proper (30-40 minutes) and cool down (10 minutes). You must never neglect the first and last parts inasmuch as these are important in preparing the body for the exercise and facilitating the body towards normalcy after an intense workout.

One of the best cardio workouts that can be done at home is dancing. Whether you choose ballroom dancing, hip hop, aerobic dance or jazzercise or belly dancing, this cardio exercise is sure to give you the workout you need without being boring. The beat of the music keeps you moving.