If you are looking to increase the intensity and effectiveness of your cardiovascular workouts, there is plenty that you can do to boost your productivity.
Cardiovascular exercise is a great way to burn the fat and let the abs shine through. Making cardio workouts part of your exercise regimen is a surefire way to improve fitness and health. However, you don’t have to spend hours on the treadmill or trail to achieve results. Instead, use these tips for effective cardio workouts that burn calories and fat.
Cardiovascular exercise offers many benefits including increasing immunity, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, sense of well being, and work, recreational and sports performance and decreasing daily fatigue, anxiety/depression, hypertension, obesity, and other diseases.
It’s not hard to improve your endurance with basic cardio fitness and aerobic workouts. For those who have better endurance, you will lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. If you have strong endurance, you have the energy and stamina to participate in everyday activities, and then some.
Monitor Your Pulse
If you track your heart rate, you’ll be able to possess a better idea of how hard you’re working and just how close you are to your maximum degree of effort. With a heart rate monitor, you are able to keep track of the intensity level of your workout and assign it a number that will help you figure out just what you’re getting away from your workout and from what exercises
Increase the Incline
Rather than running on a flat road or treadmill, head for the hills or bump up the incline. Running uphill will send the heart rate through the roof and increase the calorie burn. Some added benefits include improved leg strength, running form and spring speed.
Set A Goal
Don’t let your mind wander away when utilizing cardio equipment, as this can take away from the intensity of your efforts. Every bit of cardio equipment will give you a reading of the distance you have covered. So why wouldn’t you set a goal of trying to beat the distance you might have covered the previous session in the same allotted period of your time.
Stay Hydrated
Proper hydration is just as important as proper nutrition. It is important to drink an adequate amount of fluid, but also to prevent drinking too much fluid. Too much fluid can cause your electrolytes to be imbalanced. The recommendation is to drink 500ml (about 2 cups) of fluid 2-3 hours before exercise.
Hands Free
When utilizing a piece of cardio equipment don’t hold onto the handrail. Just let go and pump the arms forward and back, not over the body (which will reduce the effectiveness of a workout).
The Great Outdoors
If possible, take to the outdoors to add variety and new challenges to some boring running routine. Mountain biking and trail running on uneven surfaces improves athleticism and balance while working smaller, but equally important, stabilizer muscles.
Swing It
Try kettlebell training for any workout that provides both cardio and strength benefits. Use the two-hand kettlebell swing to improve lung efficiency and maximum heartbeat in a fraction of the time of traditional training methods.
Tips to Improve Your Cardio Workout
The Buddy System
Workout having a training partner or group of friends to help make the entire gym experience more enjoyable. Being accountable to another person will even serve as motivation and prevent missed workouts.
More Work, Less Rest
Select 6 to 8 body weight exercises, resistance training and cardio-based movements to use included in an up-tempo circuit-based workout. Perform the first exercise, after which move onto the next without working. Repeat for each exercise before resting for one to two minutes at the end of the circuit.
