7 Exercise Tips to Help Your Cardio Workouts
From the treadmill to the running tracks, working up a sweat
can be tedious.
Check out our top seven tips to improve your cardio workouts.
Plan your cardio
It might seem simple enough to run until you’re sweaty – but
the routine will get old, fast. Just like a weights session, plan your cardio
workout before you begin exercising.
Make your sessions
short and sharp
You may be clocking up the kilometres on the elliptical
machine, but if you’re performing “easier” types of cardio over longer periods
of time, you may not be getting the results you desire. Opt for shorter bursts
of cardio, performed at a more intense pace. This allows for your body to
expend calories throughout the day, resulting in a higher calorie burn.
Don’t focus on the
‘fat burning zone’
The notion of the fat burning zone was born as a result of
the link between low intensity workouts and fat and carbohydrate burning.
It’s a fact that during lower intensity exercises, the body uses fat as its
primary source of fuel, however, for overall weight loss, what matters most is
the difference between calorie input and output.
Don’t get too focused on getting in the zone. For fat loss,
try high-intensity interval training.
Cardio or weights?
If you undertake an intense cardio session, it’s unlikely
you’ll have enough energy to complete an equally intense weights workout.
Similarly, after completing a heavy weights session, the last thing you feel
like doing is getting your muscles moving.
Since weight training and cardio affects muscles in
different ways, it’s ideal to split up your cardio and weights training into
two separate sessions.
Don’t bother with
ankle weights
No, those extra two kilo ankle weights aren’t doing you any
favours when you work up a sweat. Arm and ankle weights aren’t heavy enough to
make a significant impact on your calorie burn – if anything, you’ll be more
likely to be thrown off balance.
Raise the intensity of your cardio instead of your
resistance, or if your goal is to get stronger, move along to the weights
machine. You can’t cheat your way to a fit body.
Stop watching the
screen
For some people, the most rewarding part of cardio is the
chance to plug in earphones, tune in to the personalised TV screen and catch up
on your favourite shows. But if you’re able to fully focus on a TV or flick
through a magazine while you’re performing cardio, you’re not working hard
enough.
Avoid the TV or reading during your workout – instead, focus on your movements
and performance to ensure you’re adhering to proper form.
Don’t go steady
Staying at a steady pace for a long period of time won’t be
as effective as a short and sharp cardio session, so instead of a 45 minute
power walk, opt for 20 minutes of high intensity interval training. This will
increase your metabolism much more effectively than a steady pace.
This article was proudly provided by the Australian Institute of Personal Trainers, who support Genesis Fitness and help our members achieve their fitness goals. If you are interested in starting a career in Personal Training, click here for more information.
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