Cardio, also known as aerobics, is a form of exercise that uses repetitive muscle activity to improve the function of your heart and lungs. Regular performance of cardio exercises can also help you burn off calories and lose weight. However, if you don't exercise enough or fail to control your calorie intake, you can do cardio and still gain weight.
Cardio Basics
When you use your muscles during cardio, your body burns through calories to give you the energy you need for sustained effort. Over time, this increased level of calorie burning can result in a loss of both stored fat and unwanted weight. In addition to weight loss and better lung and heart function, noted benefits of regular cardio exercise include improved resistance to viral diseases, reduced accumulation of harmful cholesterol-based plaque in your arteries, an increased ability to minimize the effects of chronic disease, mood improvements and a potential extension of your lifespan.
Controlling Calories
While cardio and other exercises play a major role in weight loss or control, you typically also need to reduce or control the calories in your food to lose pounds and/or maintain weight loss once it occurs. If you fail to properly modify your food choices, the calorie gain from food intake can easily cancel out the weight-loss effects of increased physical activity. For example, when you bicycle at a moderate pace for one hour, you can lose anywhere from 292 to 436 calories. If you increase your food intake by more than this amount, you will gain weight.
Activity Guidelines
To initiate significant weight loss, the U.S. National Library of Medicine recommends that you get at least 30 minutes of cardio on a minimum of three days each week. However, the actual amount of cardio that suits you best depends on the amount of weight you need or want to lose. Higher weight-loss goals typically require higher levels of cardio participation on your part. In addition to bicycling, common cardio exercise options include swimming, water aerobics, brisk walking, jogging, dancing, hiking, elliptical training and stair climbing.
Considerations
Get your doctor's consent before you start a weight-loss cardio program or any other new exercise routine. If you're new to exercise or haven't exercised regularly for a prolonged period, start your new routine with short sessions of easier exercises like walking, then build up your routine over time as you grow accustomed to regular activity. While calorie control is important, don't reduce your calorie intake below healthy levels. To maintain normal body function, women usually need at least 1,200 calories each day, while men usually need at least 1,500 calories a day to function properly.
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