Cardio workouts are a vital part of achieving your fitness goals. It may be overwhelming to figure out where to start when you are trying to create your cardio routine, so below, we’ve listed a few tips to help you optimize your cardio workout. Happy reading!
Warm-Up and Cool Down Properly
You may want to dive right into your workout, but it is important to ensure that you incorporate about 10-15 minutes of foam rolling, dynamic stretches and movements, and a slow-paced start. Dynamic stretches are similar to the type of activities you will do during the workout. For example, a jogger may jog in place for a few moments before moving.
After your workout, cool down at a slow pace and finish with static stretches. Static stretches loosen your muscles and help to increase flexibility and range of motion. You should hold these stretches in place for a significant period of time.
Mix it Up
When most people think of cardio workouts, they think of running; however, there are several types of cardio activities like swimming, biking, and jump roping. Mix up your cardio training routine by doing a different activity each session. This will keep you engaged during your workout routine, and you may even find a new hobby along the way.
If you don’t like traditional forms of cardio, but you are active in a sport that is not giving you enough cardio, try adding 10-15 minutes of cardio before or after your sport. For example, you can add 10-15 minutes of cardio before your game if you play tennis. You can also add an extra cardio session by making your weightlifting session a little more “cardio-focused” by:
- doing circuits
- doing exercises for time instead of counting reps
- doing higher reps and only allowing shorter recovery in between exercises
Train using aerobic and anaerobic systems
Aerobic and anaerobic training both have a place in your training program. Aerobic training means “with air” and refers to the body using oxygen to produce energy. Anaerobic training means “without air” and refers to the body producing energy without oxygen. Anaerobic training helps to build muscle mass and strength. Steady state-oxidative training (aerobic) helps to build endurance.
Explore Heart-Rate Training
There are several ways to calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) and find your personal heart-rate training zones. Heart-rate training tests your max heart rate so you can monitor how hard you are training and avoid overstressing your skeletal and muscular systems. When you incorporate heart-rate training, you can train properly, find out how to recover from the workouts better, and base your workouts in your personalized “zones.” Runners World gives us an overview of what each zone may look like:
- Zone 1 (60-70%): is a very comfortable effort used for warm-ups and cool-downs.
- Zone (70-80%): used for the bulk of training, this relaxed effort allows you to hold a conversation.
- Zone 3 (81-93%): this is a comfortably hard effort during which you can only speak in short, broken sentences.
- Zone 4 (94-100%): often a 5K pace and an arduous effort that’s sustainable but only lets you speak a few words at a time.
Talk to your trainer to help you find your zones or use these apps to help you calculate your training zones:
- Challenges – Compete, Get Fit. Health & Fitness.
- HeartWatch: Heart Rate Monitor. Health & Fitness.
- AutoSleep Track Sleep on Watch. Health & Fitness.
- Orange Zones Workout Companion. Health & Fitness.
- Polar Beat: Running & Fitness. Health & Fitness.
- Zova: #1 Watch Workout App. Health & Fitness.
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