Cardio comes in many forms. What to do if I don’t like running

Cardio comes in many forms. What to do if I don’t like running

Cardio exercise is the best way to lose weight and get in shape. Five effective and varied workouts in our selection.

Any physical activity that raises your heart rate to 150 beats per minute can be considered cardio exercise. The most common practice among these types of workouts is running. 30 minutes of exercise a day is enough time to improve your heart function and resist cardiovascular diseases in the future. But what do you do if you’ve gone out, tried it, and realized that running isn’t really your thing?

First, let’s break it down: why do you NOT feel comfortable running? The most common reasons are:

– your running technique is wrong,

– you have the wrong shoes (which can cause serious knee injuries),

– people with excessive body weight are strongly discouraged from running.

In any case, if the reason lies in more than just any of the above, consider the types of alternative exercise that will help you develop and properly pump your core muscles and body.

Bicycle

Bicycling is great cardio. And any variant will do: whether it’s a bike ride with your family outside the city or an exercise machine in a fitness club. Of course, it is best to train outside. Here you and landscapes are diverse, and the air is fresh. Especially high in terms of load is considered cycling on hilly terrain or uphill. Lifehack: a bicycle with several speeds will allow you at first not very tired and control the level of load.

Swimming

Why is swimming easier than running? It’s all about the fact that swimming, unlike running, limits your ability to breathe. Perceiving this as a signal, our body tends to increase the volume of our lungs, which allows us to better supply the body with oxygen. Moreover, close contact with water strengthens the immune system, relaxes and allows muscles to recover faster.A traditional cardio swim workout consists of a warm-up, a core workout and a warm-down. Usually the workout includes cycles of “4 times 100 meters”. Rest lasts 2-3 minutes.

Elliptical trainer

This is a unique exercise machine that allows you to optimally distribute the load on all parts of the body at once. At the moment it is one of the most popular exercise machines. Its main feature is that it imitates running, walking uphill, running downhill. At the same time, the ellipse allows you to move at a more moderate pace than a treadmill. A slightly more compact in size and affordable stepper can also be used at home.

Walking

It is said that to burn enough calories, a person should walk at least 10,000 steps a day. Ideally, walking cardio workout can be started at absolutely any time anywhere. Lifehack: pay attention to the work of your arms. Be sure to flex and extend your arms while walking, and nothing else is required.

Skipping rope

An alternative to expensive fitness equipment and trips to the pool can easily become an ordinary skipping rope (!), the cost of which is unlikely to exceed 100 rubles. What should be included in the training program for beginners with a jump rope, so that it was effective? First, before training with a jump rope, do not forget to warm up (stretch the joints, pull the leg muscles). Secondly, at the end of each workout, recover your breathing and do stretching. It is recommended to train 2-3 times a week.