Cardio is one of the most important things you can do for your body, whether you want to lose weight, build muscle or improve your health. The great thing is, there are plenty of choices for cardio exercise.
There are some cardio exercises that work best if your goal is to blast calories and get in great shape. I would like to tell you in more details so that it would help you to choose the right cardio for yourself:
1. Running is a great choice for a variety of reasons:
• It doesn't require special equipment (except some quality shoes)
• You can do it just about anytime, anywhere
• It's high impact, which helps build strong bones and connective tissue
• It gets your heart rate up more quickly than low or no impact exercise
• It helps you burn serious calories, especially if you add hills, sprints or tries interval training.
In fact, a 145-lb person can burn 300 calories by running at 5.2 mph for 30 minutes. The same person would burn about half of that with a brisk walk.
2. If you're looking to burn maximum calories, cross-country skiing is an excellent choice. Whether you're on a gym machine or swooshing over miles of snow, cross-country skiing is an incredible cardio exercise. Because it involves both the upper and lower body, it doesn't take much work to get your heart rate up, which is where the calorie-burn comes in.
A 145-lb person burns about 330 calories during 30 minutes of skiing.
3. Whether you're outdoors or indoors, cycling is an excellent cardio workout.
By using the power of your legs, you increase endurance while burning lots of calories, anywhere from 250-500 in 30 minutes, depending on how fast you go and how high your resistance is.
4. Next to the treadmill, the elliptical trainer is the most popular cardio machine at the gym and it's no wonder. The elliptical trainer allows your body to move in a natural way, but without the impact of the treadmill. You can add intensity by increasing resistance and some machines include adjustable ramps and arm handles for added intensity as well. As a bonus, you can go backwards on an elliptical trainer, adding variety while working your muscles in a different way.
The elliptical trainer is also a good choice for runners looking for a break from pounding the pavement. A 145-lb person burns about 300 calories in 30 minutes.
5. Swimming is another great choice because, like cross-country skiing, it's a full body exercise. The more body parts you involve in your workout, the more calories you'll burn. Spend 30 minutes doing the breastroke and you'll burn almost 400 calories.
6. Walking is another great choice for cardio because, like running, it's accessible: You don't need special equipment and you can do it anywhere, anytime.
It's harder to get your heart rate up with walking since its low impact but, if you work hard at it, a 145-lb person can burn about 180 calories in 30 minutes.
7. Jumping rope is another calorie-scorcher and, as an added bonus, a jump rope packs easily in your suitcase, making it an excellent travel exercise.
A 145-lb person can burn a whopping 330 calories with a 30-minute workout, but you'll want to slowly work your way up to that.
Choose the best cardio for yourself. I recommend that you should mix it up so that you would not feel bore in long run.
