Hello everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from Nick Clipton who manages and writes for the weight gain blog: http://www.buildingbodymuscles.com/. Nick’s blog contains lots of fantastic muscle building information and also reviews many of the top body building programs so feel free to check it out after you have finished reading.
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The importance of exercising cannot be stressed enough no matter what body type it is that you have. The human body is made to move and if you are leading a sedentary lifestyle with hardly any exercise, there is a big possibility for you to experience health problems that you would otherwise not have with regular exercise.
How Cardio Exercises Offer More than Just Benefits for the Heart
Among the many types of exercises that you can perform on a regular basis are cardio exercises. First up, let us try to define what this type of exercise is all about. It is a sustained, rhythmic activity which works the large muscle groups like the legs. The word cardio is there because the sustained activity helps elevate the heart rate – although you need to make sure that the exercises would not tire you out.
The main benefit of cardio exercise is to improve your cardiac function by preventing cardiovascular disease and reducing your blood pressure. But unlike what many people think, cardio exercises do more than just provide benefits for the heart.
This type of exercise also:
– Helps with your weight loss program by burning calories.
– Improves the quality of sleep and endurance.
The Top 3 Everyday Cardio Exercises to Help You Stay Fit
Now that you have an idea about the benefits that you will get to have with cardio exercises, which particular activities can you do on a regular basis that will help you stay fit?
Here are the top three cardio exercises for you:
1. Walking
As far as cardio exercises are concerned, the rule is: the simpler, the better. Walking is one of the most underrated cardio exercises there is. With the convenience offered by elevators, escalators and public transport, most people do not even get a chance to walk as they travel to and from the office.
So if you want to lead a heart-friendly life, go back to the basics and start walking again. It’s a low-impact activity that will boost your heart rate quickly. If you walk at a rate of 4mph for about 30 minutes a day, that’s already an equivalent of 170 calories burned for a 150-pound individual.
2. Running
Another cardio exercise which obviously has better impact than walking is running. As you move from a walking pace to a running pace, you are going from a low-impact to a high-impact activity which will help burn more calories over time.
3. Other cardio exercises
You can take your pick from other cardiovascular exercises like swimming or biking. Make sure to have fun and do a combination of these three types of cardio exercises so that you won’t stick to a monotonous routine.
With these top three cardio exercises which do more than just benefit your heart, you will surely be able to gain a healthy weight and lead a healthier, fitter lifestyle in no time at all!
A good guest post and I have to say that I completely agree that walking has to be one of the most under rated exercises ever.
Tom, I hope this link will be useful to your readers, a comprehensive list of some of my favourite cardio exercises in the gym and how to do them with perfect technique.
http://beeblefitness.com/2/library/cardiovascular/
Hey Hugo – I think I’m in the minority when it comes to walking. I understand and agree with all the benefits but if I’m not walking somewhere I really don’t enjoy it. I much prefer jogging or running as a leisure activity. Thanks for the link. I’m sure it will be very beneficial. I plan to make fuller use of your exercise library when I start doing a few posts on exercise but at the moment diet is my hot topic :-)
Hey Andrew – As I said to Hugo I think I’m in the minority but I much prefer a jog to the gym. I only walk if I’m really tired.
Hi Tusc – I hope that postbox isn’t at the end of your street :-). Glad to see I’ve found someone else who isn’t a massive walking fan. Thought I was the only one.
Good call on the walking, it truly is one of the most under rated movements. I get about 2 miles of walking going to and from the gym, plus I save gas!
Thanks for the guest post!
All the Best,
Andrew R
Go Healthy Go Fit
I’ve never been a great walker but have made an effort to walk to the post box instead of driving lately….lol
I love HIIT cardio. Not so keen on the SSC (like walking!) Not sure what that says about me but agree that you got to stick to what you enjoy.
Tusc :)
Hi Tom,
Great guest post! And I have to say I am the opposite of you. I LOVE walking and can’t run if my life depended on it :)
It isn’t that I am out of shape, but I have been used to walking trails and hiking since I could walk and I never ever jogged or ran as a child or so, and that kind of stuck with me. Last summer I tried to get myself to train a little to jog, lightly, nothing crazy at the start of my morning walks and very quickly resorted back to walking.
But the benefits are there no matter what, so I am not worried. Now if only summer could come… as walking or running outside right now is out of the question :)
Hi Evita – Whilst everyone prefers different types of exercise they all have their benefits so if you love walking then keep it up. I’ll be sticking to the jogging though :-)
Cycling for me is the best form of cardio. I use to go jogging but the constant pounding on the roads was doing my knees no good at all. My cardio workouts on my stationery bike do not put as much impact on my knees.
The only downside to it is, it can get a little boring sat on a bike for an hour each morning.
I agree jogging is not kind to the knees but I really do enjoy it. I want to do some future posts on jogging and will probably do some research into the best supplements for protecting your knees when I write them.