One of the elements of a good work out routine is to have cardiovascular exercises. Though this is a commonly known thing, not everyone has something specific in mind when they say cardio. What exactly is cardio and why do we need it?

At its simplest, cardio is any physical activity that aims to burn fat. There are different ideas on cardio routines. Some think that a low intensity workout is better while others prefer high intensity workouts. The idea behind the former workout is that you get your heart rate up to a certain level, THEN your body will start burning fat. On the average, it takes about 10 minutes to reach that level. The high intensity workout, on the other hand, gets you at the level almost at once. The problem with this is that it is quite difficult to sustain such a workout for long periods of time. Perhaps 10-15 minutes is the longest one can go at it.

There are a variety of activities from which you can get your cardio. At the gym, one of the most common ways is to use the treadmill. If you love walking, then walking at a fast pace will do you good as well. You can even go jogging. Personally, I play table tennis. As my trainer keeps reminding us, it is important that you like what you are doing as an exercise. Otherwise, you will see the whole thing as a drudgery and eventually tire of it. So pick out your cardio activity and love it!

Originally posted on December 11, 2006 @ 11:18 am