Cardio is one of the most efficient and hassle-free exercises because it works almost all of the body’s major muscle groups. There are several health benefits of cardio exercises. It improves your heart rate and lung functioning, strengthens muscles, improves body flow, and lowers the risk of heart ailments, hypertension, diabetes, etc. Cardio also proves helpful to lose weight as it considerably helps in cutting down calories. However, to enhance cardio exercises’ effectiveness, you need to know how often you should practice them. Therefore, in this particular write-up, we shall take a closer look at the advised amount of time that should be devoted to cardio exercises.
What Should You Know About Cardio?
While performing cardio or aerobic exercise, the muscles require more blood and oxygen than when at ease. Due to this, the heart and lungs work harder, which, over time, makes them stronger and more robust.
Besides, when your heart and lungs become more substantial, the body’s blood and oxygen flow significantly improve. Cardio or aerobic exercise incorporates many types of movements. Some activities, like walking, can be performed at a controlled pace. Other activities, like jogging, biking uphill, skipping, or swimming, can be done with greater intensity.
How Much Cardio Is Recommended?
As per the World Health Organization, whatever variety of cardio or aerobic exercise you prefer to do, you should do it for at least 10 minutes to get the most advantages from it. When you engage in moderate-intensity practices, such as brisk walking, then 30 minutes every day will help you reap various benefits. While doing this, you can also split this up into two 15-minute walks or three 10-minute walks every day. There is no confirmed upper limit on the period of cardio exercise you should perform daily or weekly. Nevertheless, if you push yourself carefully with every activity, then skip a couple of days to rest can help you avoid unnecessary injury or burnout.
If you wish to carry out your cardio exercise in any other fashion, make sure that you consult your nutritionist or fitness expert in advance to prevent any physiological issues.
Now that we have the fundamental knowledge about how often you should perform cardio exercises, let us address one of the most commonly asked questions, and that is- is it okay to do cardio every day?
Should You Do Cardio Exercises Daily?
According to a study conducted in 2012 published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, experts discovered that doing up to 60 minutes of cardio exercise every day is harmless and suitable, mainly if your main goal is losing weight. Even though cardio exercise has several benefits, another study observed that there could be dangers linked with exercising each day or most days of the week intensely.
Which Factors Determine The Right Amount Of Cardio For You?
The boundaries of how much cardio exercise is harmless vary from one person to another. But to frame it generally, you should consider your fitness level, i.e., whether you are at a beginner, intermediate or advanced level in your fitness journey. Besides, take into account your overall health, which includes both- physical and mental aspects. Another highly essential factor that you should find out whether your body is fighting any underlying health conditions or not. In that case, proceed with your cardio exercises only after your doctor’s approval.
To help you get a clearer picture, look for the following symptoms that suggest you are overdoing your cardio:
- Lingering muscle soreness
- Pain in the joints
- Difficulty in exercises that you could manage before
- Disinterest or lowering enthusiasm in the exercise
- Poor sleep quality
For developing a clearer understanding of the question, as mentioned earlier, there is no better way than organizing a pros and cons list.
Pros Of Doing Cardio Every Day:
- It assists in improving your heart’s functioning and cardiovascular health.
- It helps you sleep better at night, especially when you exercise earlier during the daytime.
- It improves blood flow and helps in managing elevated blood pressure.
- It improves your body’s usage of fat as an energy source, leading to weight loss.
- It helps in enhancing your lung’s functioning and overall respiratory wellness.
- It boosts your spirits, raises your energy, and reduces stress.
Cons Of Doing Cardio Every Day:
- It exhausts you physically and mentally.
- Can reduce muscle mass if you don’t fuel up with sufficient calories for preventing your body from extracting energy from muscle tissues.
- There is a possibility of developing an injury from overtraining.
- It can give rise to a sluggish metabolism.
- There is a lack of versatility leading to boredom.
- It may cause fat retention.
Now that we know some of the most critical aspects of doing cardio every day, let us quickly look at some efficient cardio exercises.
Jumping Rope
Jumping rope is often considered the most beneficial cardio exercise used for cross-training by several athletes. Jumping a rope for only 20 minutes can help you burn about 220 calories. It is easy to perform and highly impactful.
Squat Jumps
Another excellent cardio exercise that you can do as an element of a circuit is squat jumps. As its name suggests, you begin in a squat position, jump upward, strive to go as high as possible, and then settle back in the squat position.
Jumping Jacks
Doing jumping jacks for 10 minutes upright can burn nearby 100 calories. You can effortlessly integrate jumping jacks in circuit training, including other exercises such as burpees, jogging, etc. You can practice jumping jacks anywhere and at any time without any equipment.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, a 30-minute cardio workout is generally a harmless activity to do every day. People suffering from chronic health conditions may not perform that much, but it is still essential to attempt to be as active as possible. If you typically do longer and high-intensity cardio workouts, one day’s rest per week can help your body recover and reduce your risk of injury. If you are fresh to cardio or have an underlying health condition, please talk to your physician before beginning a new workout routine.
