Monday, August 30, 2010

Cardio and Weight Loss

In it's most simple form, losing weight is about burning more calories than you take in, on a daily basis. Most people know that while weight/resistance training burns calories, and is definitely necessary for strength and muscle tone, it does not burn nearly the calories a great cardio session can.

We know that cardio training is great for the heart (after all, the heart is a muscle and needs to be worked also) and cardiovascular system, but just going for a walk or mulling around on the treadmill for a half hour is not going to give you the boost you need on your weight loss mission. Of course, any exercise is better than nothing, so in no way am I discounting the benefits of walking. In fact, just getting up and staying in motion for 30 minutes a day will benefit your body tremendously, especially in comparison to the alternative (being stationary, sitting around, watching t.v., etc.).

That being said, let's talk about some different ways to mix up your cardio and shock your system for maximal results, and so your body does not get too adapted to the same routine (and yes, the body adapts to routine very quickly). The first method I recommend to my clients is interval training. In it's basic form, interval training simply means short periods of exercise at an intensity that could not be sustained for a long period of time. For example, if you are going to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes, every couple of minutes try going at a much faster pace for 60 seconds, then resume your original pace, and so on. This will benefit you in several ways; it will begin to increase your conditioning and aerobic capacity, thus helping you to run at a faster pace for longer periods of time, and it will also have enough variation to make your body work harder and burn more calories. Interval training can be done with any kind of cardio, i.e. treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, and so on.

The end of that last paragraph is a perfect segue into my next topic; different types of cardio, and which methods are my personal favorites for lower body muscle tone and calorie burning. The first method is the tried and true- running outdoors. Nothing offers you a better calorie burning vehicle than running in the elements. Treadmill running is my second choice, but it is behind outdoor running because on pavement, trail, grass, sand, etc., the ground is not moving backwards while you are running forwards, so you have to work harder. You also have to deal with mother nature, and on those hot and/or humid days, your body will have to work that much harder; just stay hydrated and do not over exert yourself, risking dehydration (esp. in humidity).

As previously mentioned, running on the treadmill is my next choice. The speed can be increased for interval training, and you do not have to worry about the outdoor elements such as weather, or uneven surfaces (a bigger risk for a turned ankle). Another big plus with most treadmills is the ability to walk/run on an incline. When I am on the treadmill, I actually prefer walking on a very steep incline vs running. Living in Florida and having no uphill terrain in site, it allows me that feeling of hiking!

My next choice for an intense cardio method is straight up jumping rope. Try jumping rope for even 2 minutes straight, and see if you can get the same feeling from most other indoor cardio machines. It is intense, and although it is very high-impact (esp. on a hard floor surface), it is an amazing calorie burner and calf toner. Consider this: 10 minutes of jumping rope burns the same calories as 30 minutes on the treadmill at a moderate pace. After rope I would choose the stair climber w/ escalating stairs. Unless you are climbing at a pretty decent pace you wont feel the cardio intensity as some of the other methods, but the stair climber is brutal on the thighs and glutes, and actually my #1 method of cardio for lower body muscle toning. Definitely try this method if your gym has one.

My final two choices are the stationary bike and the elliptical machine. The stationary bike is not going to get the heart rate up like the other choices, but you can do interval training on it by increasing the resistance, and it is a great thigh burner. Most of you will probably be surprised that the elliptical is my last choice among these options, probably because you see more people at the gym using the elliptical over all the other methods I have talked about. If you have joint problems, or need a lower impact form of cardio for whatever reason, then the elliptical does serve this purpose. However, in my opinion, it is just not hard enough and does not require the amount of effort as my first few options. This is partially why I feel so many people use it. It is easy. It doesn't require a great deal of effort or intensity, and most people do not want to have to work as hard as is really needed to get results faster.

Hopefully I have given you a ton of options to choose from when it comes to cardio. Let me also add a few additional things; if using one of these methods is boring for you, try using several in one session! Do ten minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes of jumping rope, and 10 minutes on the stair climber, for example. This is a great way of mixing it up and it will keep your body guessing. Lastly, for those of you who find cardio boring, there is another option- sports! cardio in, and since you are passing the time having fun, you won't be looking at the clock! Good luck on your journey, and stay tuned...

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