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Well, cardio is defined as: cardiovascular exercise. DUH!
The answer to this is pretty simple. We need cardio to loose fat! If your body goal includes increasing muscle mass, definition, and overall body tone, then cardio is the way to go. One important thing to remember is that we all have muscles. Those muscles are just hiding, usually under fat.
Now, cardio is not the only way to loose fat. You can also cut back on calories, and begin some resistance training. A combination of these two things will help you to reduce fat. Now, be careful when reducing calories, because less calorie intake can also result in loss of muscle mass. So, consider your cardio options ;)
Aerobic Activity
Aerobic activities require the presence of oxygen. Doing Aerobic activities, such as running, biking, swimming, etc, primarily works type I muscle fibers. These aerobic activities increase muscle endurance and capillary size, as well as help the heart muscle pump blood more efficiently.
Anaerobic Activity
Anaerobic activities do not require to presence of oxygen. These types of activities, such as weight lifting, hill climbing, jumping rope, etc., works on the type II muscle fibers. Anaerobic exercises lead to greater muscle size and increase strength.
HITT = High Intensity Interval Training = Aerobic
LISS = Low Intensity Steady State = Anaerobic
So, now that we know a little bit more about the different types of cardio, and the cool "lingo" or terms that are related to cardio exercises, we can better understand which types of workouts we need to do to reach our different body goals.
If you're not sure where to start with your own cardio exercise, you can head over to our Cardio Pinterest board to see tons of cardio workout guides and routines.
More than anything else, we here at BodyHealth want you to understand your fitness journey, and to actually enjoy it. To help you achieve this, we offer any array of all-natural vitamins and supplements, as well as informative videos on Youtube, discussing the specifics of each BodyHealth product.
As a thank you for reading this informative article, and supporting the BodyHealth mission, we have designed a really cool Cardio Poster, just for you.
This poster is downloadable, and print ready. Simply send it to your favorite printer (Walgreens, Office Depot, etc.), and have them print it as a 16" x 20" poster. You can laminate it, and use dry-erase markers on it to keep track of your daily cardio routine.
We have designed both a male, and female version.
DOWNLOAD MALE VERSION HERE NOW!
DOWNLOAD THE FEMALE VERSION HERE NOW!
Be sure to share this article with your friends, so that they can download their own poster.
If there is anything society has come to realize over the last century, it is that women are just as powerful, smart, ambitious, and capable as men. And while society as a whole is still catching up as far as true equality, the facts are evident when you look at some of the most incredible and influential people today.
When it comes to fitness, however, men and women are not the same. The natural, physiological differences necessitate unique approaches to achieve optimal results. While the fundamental science behind attaining a shredded, lean physique is basically the same for both sexes, the exact steps and application require careful consideration.
One thing I've learned is that injuries can be great teachers. There are so many lessons to be learned from the injuries we experience. They force us to slow down and evaluate our bodies on a deeper level. Like many, I'm guilty of sometimes taking my healthy days for granted. When we pick up an injury, we're suddenly motivated to learn everything we can about that specific injury. We're also dedicated to the necessary rehab it will take to overcome the injury and strengthen our weak areas.
As with many injuries, I've learned there are no "quick fixes" for my stubborn Achilles. Over the years, I've also learned there are no "get fit quickly" schemes.