How to Make the Most Out of Your Cardio Workouts

Cardio Vascular exercise is an activity that involves light, moderate, or high intensity activities that should increase your heart rate.

There are many different ways to perform a cardio routine. Whether through conventional manners; treadmill, bike, cross trainer and our favourite the versa climber which is in our opinion one of the best and hardest cardio machines. There are also crazy cardio workouts and circuit training. You can perform these cardio routines by two of the most common types; high intensity interval workouts and steady workouts.

High intensity interval training is great for weight loss while steady workouts are ideal for maintaining your wellbeing.

It is better to incorporate both types of training in your routine, I would suggest 2 days a week of high intensity and 1 day a week of steady. I am sure there are many body builders or people who perform a lot of resistance training to increase lean tissue do not like to do cardio due to their concern of muscle loss. However cardio is an essential part of training and assists losing excess body fat or "to be lean", so many people cut out carboyhdrates to create the "lean look" that they are all seeking but this is not healthy and can cause long term problems, there have been studies to show that diet can have a great impact on your skin and if you do not eat enough carboyhdrates or good fats, your skin and overall health will be at risk. In our opinion the most healthiest way to maintain a "lean look" would be to engage in steady state cardio and not high intensity, where you can maintain your muscle mass while reducing excess body fat.

Here is a quick summary of what the two different types of training entail;

Interval Training: Bursts of high energy training which are then followed by periods of recovery.

Steady Training: Exercise that is performed at a slow and continuous rate where energy demands remain consistent

Top ten benefits of Cardio Vascular Exercise 

Ideal for Weight loss 

Boosts your immune system 

Reduces ones stress 

Creates Stronger and healthier heart and lungs 

Great for your bones and will increase bone density 

Reduces the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer 

Provides temporary relief from depression and anxiety 

It will release endorphins which makes you feel great after the workout 

Allows you to sleep better 

Will give you more energy

Another important factor in getting the most out of your cardio routine is to ensure that you are working at your target heart rate.

Fluid Intake and Diet In Aerobics Preparation

The type of diet to be consumed depends upon a variety of needs, such as weight loss, control of cholesterol, and blood sugar. The important point to remember here is always wait at least two hours after a heavy meal before exercising vigorously. For at least one and half hours following a meal, blood is diverted away from the brain (which makes you sleepy) and the heart. If you already have a problem with heart disease (either diagnosed or undiagnosed), exercise during this time may be more of a stress than the heart can stand. Frequently, patients with heart disease have the most angina or chest pain following a meal. Waiting two hours after a meal allows adequate time for the blood to resume its normal distribution and exercise is safe.

For early risers who get their points before breakfast, we find that there's no ill effect from working out on an empty stomach. Some of our people, though, like a glass of fruit juice ten or fifteen minutes before starting, and we find that's okay, too. It's a good way to get a little quick energy for waking up.

Also remember fluid intake. When you're working our regularly, you sweat and can lose copious amounts of fluid - sometimes up to 2 percent or more of your body weight. You need to replace this fluid, and sometimes your instinctive thirst, or your own habits, won't lead you to drink enough "replacement" fluids. Dehydration may occur, resulting in headaches, excess fatigue, and a general lack of energy. It is happens, concentrate on fluid replacement first, overcompensate for what you feel is adequate. A word of caution, though: avoid ice-cold drinks immediately after exercise. They may lead to some irritability or irregularity of the heart rhythm. Use cool or chilled fluids only.

Profuse sweating leads to excess loss of salt and other electrolytes. The simplest thing to do to compensate for this loss is to increase the amount of salt you use at mealtimes. There are also salt pills and liquid salt solutions, such as ERG and Gatorade that will help your body to return its normal condition more rapidly. Avoid solutions with high sugar content if the sweat loss is excessive and utilize less concentrated solutions. ERG and Body Punch fit more in this category. Yet, again, the important thing is to replace the fluid first! Salt tablets without adequate fluid may aggravate or potentate a heat stress condition.

At times, underlying medical problems may lead to unusual vulnerability to heat stress or fluid loss problems, while officiating at a marathon recently; I was summoned to the aid of a young runner who had collapsed. He was twenty-two years of age, highly conditioned, and the temperature was in the fifties. Yet he showed all the symptoms of severe heat stress and dehydration. Yes, he had consumed fluids at every aid station, but for two weeks preceding the race, he head suffered from a persistent diarrhea. Not realizing his dehydrated state, he entered the race and ran nearly twenty miles before the combined stress overtaxed his body. It was amazing to see how rapidly he responded to nothing more than intravenous fluids.

Someone once called me eccentric and many label me as a 'nomad', though I don't feel either of those. I am a writer by profession and wanderer by passion. From last few years I have been spending my life outside my home, so I've naturally adapted to my alone lifestyle and my desultory roving. Growth means to me as an holistic development. I also write for fitness and other health related problems. I also work on Yoga regularly and occasionally write for a website named Health Orbit.

Benefits Of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

There are many tried and tested training and exercising routines all claiming to achieve the desired results. Some work better than others; some do not work at all (although with an adequate diet, you should always see some results). One of the tried and tested methods for fat loss that actually works is High Intensity Interval Training, known as HIIT, and this method is most effective in achieving results. Sports scientists have been raving about HIIT for years, it is becoming more and more popular amongst amateur and professional trainers, and should be included in any fat loss or lean muscle training regime. Conventional steady state cardio still has its benefits; however, nothing quite blasts away body fat and improves overall fitness levels in the shortest time possible quite like HIIT. Would you rather spend forty-five minutes casually jogging or cycling along at a slow and steady pace in the morning, after your resistance training, or on your days off? On the other hand, would you rather get it over with within twenty minutes, feel desperately short of breath, be sweating furiously and really feel like you have performed at your most intense level?

Intense exercise burns fat far more effectively during and after the activity than steady state exercise, this is fact. The debated fat burning zone, which is the level of intensity at which you burn the most fat during exercise, is not the level of intensity at which you burn the most calories. Post HIIT, your body will continue to burn calories and fat even when at rest, this because your metabolism has now moved into overdrive.

HIIT generally involves combining intervals of steady state cardio with levels of much more intense cardio. Not only does this increase the overall number of calories burned, it also allows you brief recovery so you can hit the intense intervals with maximum effort. Research shows this has a massive effect on fat and calorie burning during and post exercise.

Whilst performing HIIT, you also notice an improvement in aerobic and anaerobic performance. What this generally means is your performance will improve over long and short distances, making HIIT ideal for both sprinters and long distance runners aiming for stamina and endurance. Research has also shown that improvements may occur in performing resistance training, as subjects have been able to perform greater reps on the heavy compound moves such as squats and deadlifts, whilst recovery periods seemed to have improved at the same time

To fully understand the concept behind this, you have to take into consideration the energy systems within your body. If enough oxygen is present, your body uses aerobatic energy routes. When this supply of oxygen runs out, it switches to using the anaerobic routes. To reach the anaerobic zone, some seriously intense training needs to be performed. HIIT therefore means you perform in the anaerobic zone helping boost your resting metabolic rate by increasing what scientists call excess-post oxygen consumption (EPOC), it is understood EPOC may lead to improved V02 max. EPOC is basically your body working harder to repair after intense exercise, which requires more energy and hence more calories burned. A higher V02 max means more calories and oxygen can be processed by your body hence increasing performance over a given period of time.

When you have a depletion of oxygen (represented by the EPOC), all your blood sugar has been burned off by your body, which therefore starts to burn fat as energy. Using fat as an energy source is attractive in the period post exercise. The vast majority of energy is burned during actual exercise when involved in aerobic activity, whereas during short intervals of anaerobic exercise (HIIT) significant amounts of energy are burned during and for several hours after.

You can set up a HIIT program pretty much any way you like, it could be jumping, performing burpees, cycling or running, anything that will get your heart rate pumping. The important thing is to make sure you can perform the activity for as fast and intense as you can for twenty to sixty seconds. You can then take a rest for anything from twenty seconds to as much as four minutes. You may be thinking that four minutes is a long time to catch your breath, however after several circuits of flat-out sprinting in between you soon start to realise how hard HIIT can be. To begin HIIT for the first time, you need to warm up for a good five minutes before sprinting at your max effort for say thirty seconds, before recovering in the next thirty seconds so you are able to perform the same sprint at the same max effort for another thirty seconds immediately after. If you cannot, then you should either decrease your max effort interval or increase your recovery interval. Remember it is the intensity you put into the activity, rather than the time it takes. It is not necessary to perform at 100% on every max interval; you can choose to build up to your highest level if you want to. Once you reach it, you can pyramid back down. Similar to resistance training, just ensure you mix up the intensity. Performing pyramids may help to avoid over-training and injury, however; maximum fat loss and metabolic rate will result from

Faster Walking - More Burned Calories Plus Less Stress!

Did you know that Nordic Walking increases your heart rate and calories burned? Even though your body is working harder during Nordic Walking than regular walking, it does not mean that the body is experiencing increased stress.

Participants in the Cooper Institute found that although walking with poles produced a more beneficial workout, they did not find that using poles made the workout more strenuous.

As a result of hunching over computers and poor posture, many people have neck and shoulder side effects that make them long for a fitness regimen that relieves tension, pain, lack of energy and overall discomfort. Nordic Walking is perfect to partner strong cardio fitness, muscle strength and of course relieve muscle tension in your neck and shoulders.

The Finnish Helsinki Polytechnic's Faculty of Health Care studied women with neck and shoulder pain. The conducted study showed a decrease in neck and shoulder symptom in more than half the participants along with an increase in mobility of the spine.

In addition to the physical benefits of Nordic Walking relieving muscle tension and stress which allows you to be a better worker, the emotional relief of stress is also part of Nordic Walking! Enjoying the outdoors with fellow walkers helps to alleviate every day stress.

Allowing your mind to wander and focus on your environment makes everything else melt away. Hearing the birds chirping, waves crashing, and friend laughing is a perfect excuse to grab your poles and walk!

Psychological Benefits of Nature!

Nordic Walking is an outdoor workout routine that has many physical and psychological benefits. The New York Times published an article dedicated to the benefits of fresh air and natural surroundings. "In a series of studies, scientists found that when people swap their concrete confines for a few hours in more natural surroundings- forests, parks and other places with plenty of trees- they experience increased immune function"

A decrease in stress helps to build a stronger immune system and peaceful mind. To emphasize the importance of nature, imagine walking through a busy city. Constantly our eyes are watching the passing people, obstacles in our path such as cars and people while our ears are being filled with honking horns, engines and conversations. It is exhausting just describing the city surroundings. Now imagine yourself on a quite beach. The air is clean and crisp; the birds are playing tag and chirping amidst the silence while large ocean waves crash along the serene beach sand. Are you relaxed, do you feel calm, are your ears open to your surroundings, is your posture more upright as you lift your head to view the landscape ahead?

Envision your calm place, grab your Nordic Walking poles- relax, rejuvenate and stay healthy both physically and mentally

4 Top Ways to Reduce Stress

How is stress involved in your daily routine? The errands continue to pile up, the kids are out of school, career responsibilities and family time are all amongst our everyday juggling act! Managing stress is not only a necessary part of balancing your life but your mind and health as well. Relieving your stress leads to a stronger immune system, balanced lifestyle, clearer mind and happier life.

The top four ways to relax and recharge are the top benefits of Nordic Walking!

The top four solutions are:

1. Going for a walk 

2. Spending time in nature 

3. Talking with a good friend 

4. Sweating out tension with a good workout!

Incorporating Nordic Walking improves your mental health by releasing tension caused by stress, reconnecting your body, mind and soul all while burning up to forty percent more calories than regular walking. As a result of poor posture, many people have neck and shoulder side effects that make finding a fitness regimen that relieves tension, pain, lack of energy and overall discomfort almost impossible. Nordic Walking is the perfect partner for strong cardio fitness, muscle strength and of course relief of muscle tension in your neck and shoulders.

Running To Burn Belly Fat - How To Run For Reducing Stomach Fat

When it comes to reducing belly fat, finding the right training and diet combination is the only way toward long term success. Therefore, combing your running program with the right diet can help you put your flat belly vision on the fast track. Not only that, running regularly and eating healthy improves sex drive, wards off heart-related problems, increases energy, boosts performance, and thus grants you the body of your dreams.

As result, here are 3 guidelines you need to follow if you're looking to burn off your belly fat for good.

1- Walk-Run-Walk

If you're new comer to the sport of running and are really out-of-shape, then you need to start slowly and build the intensity up incrementally. Beginner runners are more prone to suffer from injury and burnout way before they achieve much progress with the new belly fat burning resolution.

The best way to start off is to follow a walk-run-walk pattern and build endurance levels gradually. Following this simple training guideline can help you improve cardio power without running the risk of injury or burnout. And as you get stronger and fitter, make sure to add more running and decrease the time spent walking until you're able to run straight for 30-40 without much huffing and puffing.

2- Do Interval Running

Interval running is the best training approach when it comes to fighting off belly fat in the shortest time span possible. An interval running workout consists of alternating between high intensity boots of running at no more than 85 percent of maximum cardio power, with slow jogging intervals for recovery and rejuvenation. The length and intensity of each boot depends mostly on your endurance level and training goals.

3- Follow the Right Diet

The proper diet is the backbone of permanent weight loss results. Therefore, if you're looking to burn off belly fat for good, you need to, sooner or later, address your eating habits.

For that, here are 3 strategies to put you on the right path:

- Don't skip meals. Instead, make sure to eat frequently throughout the day. Aim for four or five meals every 4 hours. Every meal should be a healthy mix of good carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats.

- Eat complex carbs. Not all carbs are created equal. Therefore, you need to eat the right (complex) ones for losing weight and keeping energy levels high. Here are the best sources of complex carbs: starchy Vegetables, beans, legumes, Nuts, seeds. Limit your fruit intake.

- Eat your carbs 2-3 hours before working out and immediately afterwards. Doing so improves running performance and speeds up recovery.

How Much Cardio Should You Do To Lose Weight?

In this article we'll talk about how much cardio to lose weight and how this effects your diet and other workouts. Losing weight can be surprisingly simple. When it comes down to it it's all about the amount of calories in vs. the amount of calories out. Whenever trying to lose weight, much of your focus should be on your diet. Assuming you are eating few enough calories, the next step is to focus on your cardio training.

Cardio is probably the most effective type of exercise to do when your main goal is weight loss. And of course, Visual Impact Cardio is the most effective cardio you can do. The reason that cardio is so effective for for weight loss is because you can perform these types of workouts for quite a long time and by doing so you will burn quite a few calories. What not all realize though, is that the answer to how much cardio you do depends also upon the type of cardio you do.

We are going to look at two different types of cardio that can be used to lose weight.

When done correctly, you can use a combination of these two to burn an ideal amount of fat and calories. Here is a 1/2 - 1 hour cardio workout that will not only burn calories, but they will mostly be from fat.

5 - 10 minutes warm up 

10 - 20 minutes of HIIT 

20 - 30 minutes traditional cardio

Why This Cardio Workout For Weight Loss?

So, why should you do this workout instead of a full hour of traditional cardio? By doing cardio with this structure you will end up burning much for fat. How so? It all starts with the HIIT portion.

By starting your cardio workout with some form of high intensity interval training you force your body to release fatty acids into the blood stream. HIIT is what releases the free fatty acids from your bloodstream by creating a higher level of HGH (Human Growth Hormone). So why not do only HIIT and burn more fat?

Here is an illustration of the effects from doing HIIT cardio: HIIT Cardio

Effects of Doing HIIT Cardio

Looks good, right? The problem with this is that HIIT is not ideal for using those fatty acids after they get released. After your cardio workout is done many of the released fatty acids will return back into your blood stream.

This is where the traditional cardio comes into play. Here is an illustration of the effects from doing steady state cardio after your HIIT cardio:

By strategically doing traditional cardio directly after your HIIT workout you burn all (maybe not all, but a lot) of the released fatty acids. This is how you can limit how much cardio to lose weight.

How Often Should You Do This Cardio?

The truth is that you may need to workout somewhat frequently. Even though you can cut the time of your cardio sessions down by doing HIIT along with a traditional style of cardio, you still need to do these often.

Depending upon how much weight you need to lose, you should do a cardio session like this anywhere from 3-5 times every week for maximum weight loss.