No weight loss journey would be complete without exercise. While diet alone can create a calorie deficit leading to weight loss, cardiovascular exercise keeps your body from breaking down muscle to use as energy. Cardio also improves endurance and energy in day-to-day functioning, and is also one of the most effective habits of people who lose weight and keep it off.
Function
Effective cardio will keep your heart rate at a constant 70 percent to 75 percent of the maximum safe heart rate. This increases the efficacy of your respiratory as well as cardiovascular capacities, and leads to muscle gain as well as fat loss. To calculate maximum heart rate in beats per minute, subtract your age from 220.
Types
Normal cardio is great for beginners, and a multitude of exercise options can help with weight loss. Swimming is great for those affected by arthritis because there is no stress on joints. Bicycling also allows for minimal stress on joints. Running and climbing stairs are also a great way to get fit. High intensity interval training, or HIIT, combines the best of cardio with the sustaining ability of calisthenics and weight training. Many gyms will have a specifically devoted HIIT area, but you can easily create a HIIT routine yourself through single sets alternating weight lifting with cardio exercises.
Considerations
For exercise to be effective, it also has to be sustainable. Jumping rope is a great cardiovascular exercise, but most people cannot maintain it for long periods of time. While losing weight, the daily length of a cardio session ideally should be 30 to 45 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down times. Pick an exercise you would realistically be able to do for this amount of time.
Time Frame
Making a workout schedule is very important to maintaining a cardio plan for weight loss. Setting weekly goals and benchmarks will help you define your pacing for weight loss as well as let you rethink the rest of your schedule. If you cannot devote a half hour per day to physical exercise, it is possible you may be able to cut another activity out to make room for your health, or combine cardio with common activities to fulfill your goals.
Warning
Before losing weight, it is important to talk to your doctor. Only a doctor will be able to determine if any plan will be effective and safe for each individual. Undergoing strenuous cardiovascular exercise is not recommended for people with certain health conditions, and a physician will be able to provide a wealth of alternatives as well as boundaries to those for whom strenuous exercise would be harmful.
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