Cardio is an important part of a balanced fitness routine. It should be a challenge, but enjoyable for benefit. There is cardio for everyone. Cardio exercise is an important part of your fitness journey.

Cardio is an important part of a balanced fitness routine. It should be a challenge, but enjoyable for benefit. There is cardio for everyone.

There are different types of exercise and they each have benefits. Cardio is a great one that has many different ways to do it. It has a myriad of benefits for your body. It increases endurance, reduces body weight, burns fat, and decreases resting heart rate. Cardio helps control blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Exercise is an important part of the wellness wheel.

Cardio workout benefits

Doing cardio regularly improves lung function, helps you sleep better, and improves immunity. It increases your body’s metabolism to help you keep burning calories and fat even after the workout is over. It also helps reduce chronic pain. That’s why cardio for everyone is such a great way to spend your time working out. And don’t forget to make sure you are using proper form to reduce the risk of injury and get the most from each movement.

What happens to your body when you do cardio exercise?

Cardio exercise helps your body consume and process oxygen easier and faster. It improves heart function so your heart rate will slow down and your heart won’t have to work so hard.

It’s amazing when you start moving your body, it creates its own pain medication and helps reduce the pain in your joints. Your body also burns calories and fat for fuel which helps weight loss and gives you lots of energy.

I enjoy cardio because I can go on autopilot. I can push myself and not have to worry about counting repetitions. I do have to listen to my body about how much effort I’m putting out and proper form. But I can let my mind wander, or read, or listen to music.

It helps me sleep far better than when I don’t do it. I have more endurance for other life activities like chores and recreation. I feel less stressed. I don’t take any medications besides a rare puff of my asthma inhaler, and I rarely get sick.

When I do cardio, I feel like I’m taking care of myself and that makes me proud. I know I’m taking care of my body and that will make my life better and longer and healthier. There is a sense of accomplishment and security in that. Cardio is not complicated or difficult to figure out, so cardio is for everyone.

overweight woman doing cardio and resting on a tree

Types of Cardiovascular exercise

There are so many choices of cardiovascular exercise, you are bound to find something you like. You can choose swimming, biking, running, walking, boxing, Zumba, interval training, walking outside, running on a treadmill, elliptical, rowing, jump rope, water aerobics, hiking, aerobics, HIIT, step aerobics, cardio kickboxing, cross-fit, and more. There is nearly everything imaginable. And they can help you meet your Gym Goals and personal fitness goals.

You can’t be bored with cardio, there is such a variety. Don’t forget recumbent bikes, spin bikes, and even arm bikes. My favorite cardio is a recumbent bike and elliptical. I like them because I’m not very coordinated and they are easy to use. I can zone out and push myself as easily or hard as I want to. But I feel like I get a good workout. I sweat, I get my heart rate up. I can adjust the levels to make it harder and challenge myself. This is an important part of your Health and Fitness goals.

Benefits of Step aerobics

Step aerobics builds coordination and rhythm. It can be done in a group or individually. Step aerobics works lots of different joints. You get a lot of hip and knee work. It will help you build up endurance and strength. Add weights for an upper-body workout or sweeping arm movements.

Stair Stepper Benefits

The stair stepper has minimal impact on the hips, it can be hard on the knees though. You can use it to build endurance in your legs and lots of strength, especially in your thighs.

The stair stepper works all major muscles of the legs and core at the same time. It is challenging to get started, so start with 5 minutes and work up to 30-45 minutes. You’ll get a major cardio workout.

Elliptical Cross Trainer Benefits

The elliptical cross trainer has low impact on the knees and hips but it works the core muscles. It helps work the upper and lower body. It’s good to use while injured or post-rehabilitation. It helps with weight loss as well. It’s one of my favorites as I mentioned before. I feel like it gives me a really thorough workout. Check out this HIIT Elliptical Workout for Beginners.

ARC trainer benefits

The arc trainer is highly adaptable. It helps with different movements and workout levels. It helps improve cognitive function with increased blood flow to the body. The biomechanical movements help you develop proper body alignment. You can also get similar effects from Rowing Machine Workouts.

Cardio kickboxing benefits

Cardio kickboxing is high impact and requires great coordination. It helps develop more eye-hand coordination, balance, and increases stamina significantly. It’s a hard-core workout. It increases upper body strength and your ability for self-defense. It’s a great overall body workout and burns a lot of calories. It’s also great for building self-esteem.

Benefits of spin bikes

Spin bikes help build lower body strength and endurance. It burns a lot of calories. Spin class is social and helps you build relationships with other workout partners. Social exercise is great for social wellness. You can also check out Effective Recumbent Bike Workouts for Beginners.

woman doing cardio jumping stairs at a stadium

Benefits of cardio in the morning

There are many benefits to doing your cardio workout in the morning. You can beat the heat of the day. It helps with mental focus and mood. It makes you alert for your day.

Cardio in the morning helps you make sure you get your workout in for the day. It revs up your metabolism which also lasts all day. It’s great to work out in the morning as a priority for your health. Take time for yourself first!

I highly recommend doing cardio along with a good weightlifting routine. They are the basis of getting fit. There are so many varieties of cardio for everyone to help stay motivated. Listen to your body. If it hurts, don’t do it or find a way to modify it. Talk to a personal trainer or physical therapist. And always remember to include rest and recovery as part of your plan.

Doing cardio helps me sleep better at night, helps my focus, improves my mood and my self-esteem. It gives me the endurance to be more active in my daily life. It helps in healing and reverses health problems that arise.

It can help you with diabetes, depression, anxiety, obesity, blood pressure, arthritis, and many more things. I encourage you to get started today and treat yourself well. Here are some super simple exercises for beginners too. Or try these Gym Machine Workouts. Also, here is a great treadmill workout for weight loss that you can do. And you can even do cardio in a wheelchair!

Check out this 30 Minute Cardio Workout at Home as well.

Now for a joke: It’s been six months since I joined the gym and still no progress. Tomorrow I’m going down in person to see what’s going on. Ha ha ha ha.