Is Cardio King? No, But You Should Consider It Anyway
By Genevieve Cunningham
A lot of people hate cardio. It's no wonder either. Cardio is hard. It taxes the lungs and makes it hard to breathe. It pushes us in a way that's absolutely exhausting. At one point in time, cardio was seen as the king of fitness. It was the thing to do. But in modern times, it's taken a back seat to things such as strength training and flexibility enhancement. So does that mean you can skip out on cardio altogether? Don't get too excited. The truth is that cardio is still important. If cardio isn't your favorite, take a look at these reasons why you should still keep it in your normal routine.
Cardio Definitely Burns Calories
When most people exercise, they have two main goals: to build muscles and burn calories. Cardio may not help you build huge muscles, but it will definitely help with the calorie burn. Depending on the kind of exercise and the intensity with which you work out, you may burn massive calories that can contribute to weight loss. If you need to burn calories -- especially if that's your main goal -- don't skip the cardio.
Cardio Improves Stamina
Stamina is our body's ability to keep going even when it's hard. It's lasting longer when we run and being way less out of breath when we do something as simple as climbing stairs. If your stamina isn't the best, cardio can definitely improve it. Just remember that the progress will take time, so find a good exercise and then stick with it long-term before you ever expect to see results.
Cardio Can Help Other Areas of Life
When we have better cardio, other areas of life are easier. Work is easier because we have better endurance. Other workouts are easier because we can last longer without sucking air. Hanging out is easier because we probably have more energy. Cardio is good for the body overall. And when we improve the body, we improve our chances of living and loving our everyday life.
Cardio may not be your favorite. In fact, you might dread it altogether. But no matter how much you wish you could skip it, you should probably keep including cardio into your life. Find a workout you can enjoy, add it to the regular routine, and enjoy the benefits that it brings to your fitness, health, and life as a whole.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in South Gate, Calif.