What Can We Reduce When We Do Cardio?
Aerobic exercises are beneficial for our health, so it’s recommended to practice them at least three times a week. If you don’t know exactly how we benefit and what we can reduce when we do cardio, keep reading this article.
When we do cardio we reduce pounds
This is one of the main advantages of cardiovascular exercises. It helps us to lose weight because this exercise burns a huge amount of calories in just one session. Of course, in order to achieve this goal, we have to train several times a week and at an energetic pace.
Fat is the fuel we have that is available to carry out our daily activities. However, when we consume more fat than we burn, it begins to accumulate, mainly in our abdomen.
When we do cardio we remove these fat reservoirs, due to the intensity of the exercise. Therefore, cardio is essential if we want to lose weight.
When we do cardio we reduce our cholesterol levels
Another cardio benefit is that it improves cardiovascular health generally and that’s why we can reduce the levels of triglycerides and the ‘bad’ cholesterol that is in our blood, when we practice it. And not only that, we can also lower our glucose and blood pressure.
This is because in order to perform the exercise, our heart has to beat faster and therefore it has to pump more blood around our body. At the same time, our lungs will have to inhale more oxygen, which will help our organs to fulfill their functions.
Although this may seem somewhat ‘stressful’ to the body, the truth is that it’s a positive process. Oxygenating our blood properly will reduce the chance of us suffering from heart attacks, it also increases the physical resistance needed, to perform any type of exercise or activity. When we do cardio we reduce the fat that accumulates in the walls of our arteries and we make them more elastic and healthy.
When we do cardio we reduce stress
Undoubtedly, one of the main advantages of doing cardio is that it improves our mood in a matter of minutes. When we perform this type of exercise our body releases several hormones, including endorphins. These are also known as the ‘happiness’ hormones.
That’s why, when we finish the routine we feel tired, but happy at the same time. It can even help us to clear our minds and find solutions to our daily problems.
Whenever we are sad, depressed, stressed, nervous or anxious… doing cardio is the best option! This can be biking, running in the park or swimming. And if we add great music to the exercise, as they do in a Zumba, step or aerobics class, the effects will be more noticeable.
When we do cardio we reduce diseases
Another very interesting aspect in relation to this type of exercise, is that they have the ability to strengthen the immune system. Therefore, we reduce our chances of suffering with a cold, flu or any other viral and bacterial disease.
And pay attention, because it’s also recommended to do cardio if we are sick. This way, our recovery will be faster and more complete. There’s no need to do a very active or intense activity, just jogging lightly around the park or gentle walking will be enough.
Research also indicates that doing cardio helps us to avoid other types of more complex and serious diseases, such as cancer or even neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s not about going out for a run without any kind of training, or using the stationary bike in the gym for hours. Cardio must be practiced progressively and take into account our capabilities.
It’s also recommended to complete three weekly sessions of at least 30 minutes each. You can alternate between the different exercises and disciplines until you find the one that you like the most. There are hundreds of options: spinning, boxing, Zumba, step, running, aqua-gym, biking, dancing… There are no excuses!