Cardio is incredibly important for all of us. It’s the bedrock of the physical activity guidelines for health, and if you already strength train, adding in cardio will make you healthier in general and better at the stuff in the gym that you care about. (And no, it won’t kill your gains.)
I have another article addressing this question in more detail, but here's the short answer. Cardio exercise is generally understood to be exercise that:
Is rhythmic and repetitive—think of the footsteps in jogging, or the arm strokes in swimming.
Is intense enough you feel like you’re working. A leisurely stroll isn’t cardio, but a brisk walk could be.
How much cardio should I do?
The American Heart Association, the World Health Organization, the CDC, and many other organizations have settled on a guideline that says your baseline should be 150 minutes or more of moderate cardio per week. (They often say “exercise” but if you read the fine print, they are referring specifically to cardio. Strength training is separate.) Specifically, they say you should do:
75 minutes of vigorous cardio per week, or
If you’re already meeting that baseline easily, you should aim for 300 minutes of moderate/150 minutes vigorous.
A 30-minute walk every weekday at lunch, or
22 minutes of brisk walking every morning (even weekends)
Vigorous cardio includes everything harder than that, covering the spectrum from a lively jog to really intense intervals. You may feel exhausted at the end of the workout. You may not be able to do this kind of workout every day. Vigorous cardio is good for you, but it’s often best in small doses. Endurance athletes (like runners) often aim to keep the harder stuff to 20% or less of their weekly workout time.
Does it matter what kind of cardio I do?
Honestly: not that much. Sometimes people seek out cardio that uses their full body, or that targets specific body parts, but that’s not actually very important when it comes to the health and fitness benefits. A rowing machine uses your arms more than a spin bike, but both can provide a great cardio workout. If you want to build muscle in your arms, you’re better off doing some strength exercises for your arms rather than worrying about whether your cardio workouts include your arms.
With that huge caveat out of the way, I’ll give you guys my favorite cardio workouts, and some tips for working each into your routine.
The cheapest cardio workout: running (or run/walk)
You’ll need a pair of shoes that feel reasonably comfortable when you run (they do not have to be expensive running shoes) and many of us will need a sports bra. Then, just add some athletic clothes, and you have the essentials. You’ll need the same basic gear for most other exercise, anyway.
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Speed up a bit; try a jog or a fast walk.
Speed up again when you feel ready, and repeat.
Over time, work toward keeping up a steady pace. A slow, steady jog is better (for most of your training) than sprint-and-walk intervals. That said, interval training is a fun thing to sprinkle in. If you’re worried that running is boring, try these tips to keep it fun.
Easiest on your body: indoor cycling
(Outdoor cycling is great, by the way. But that requires a helmet, a bit of mechanical know-how, and street smarts to safely mesh with, or avoid, traffic. I’m sticking with indoor cycling for my recommendation here, but if you love taking your bike to the streets, by all means enjoy!)
YOSUDA Indoor Cycling Bike Brake Pad/Magnetic Stationary Bike - Cycle Bike with Ipad Mount & Comfortable Seat Cushion $249.99 Get Deal Get Deal $249.99There are also tons of options for indoor cycling workouts. You can aim for a straight steady-state workout, perhaps watching a favorite show while you do it on the gym’s TV or even your phone. Or you can follow along with a video or audio workout that guides you through intervals while distracting you with music and chatter. Use an app like Peloton or Aaptiv, or find videos on YouTube. Here’s one to start you off:
Best for no equipment at home: put on some music and dance
Then we have the staples of bodyweight “HIIT” videos, like air squats and jumping jacks. These are fine! But they lend themselves better to intervals, and when we’re doing cardio it’s good to have options that let us move continuously. That said, I’m going to put in a quick plug for the most underrated no-equipment cardio move out there: the old school four-count burpee. (I describe it in more detail here.) No jump and no pushup. You’re welcome.
Obviously, there are so many directions you can go from here. You can simply bop along to whatever is on the radio or shuffle your Spotify. You can work on building your skill as a dancer, learning new moves and stringing them together—don’t these goofballs look like they’re having fun dancing the Charleston? You can look up dance cardio videos where an instructor leads you through a workout. Or you can just pick any style you like and have fun with it.
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