The weight loss business is a multi-million business causing people to spend lots of money to try and reach their ideal weights. From surgery to health clubs and diet plans, an estimated $65 billion was spent in the United States in 2012 alone. If you are among the millions searching for a convenient way to lose weight, finding one quick will save you a lot of money. Cardio exercise are among the most often turned to solutions. The question is does Cardio really help that much with weight loss?
Let’s tell a story, a story that is all too common among those who turn to cardio to lose weight. One day, they get the moment of realization that they need/ want to lose weight and the first thing that comes to their mind is “I’ll sign up for the gym” and they do. For the first few weeks, they’ll spend unlimited hours at the gym but then something happens- their bodies reach a fitness plateau and they lose motivation. Does this mean that one should totally write off cardio in their weight loss program? Not necessarily but here are some things you ought to consider before taking up any form of cardio to lose weight.
Not all Cardio is the same
There are two types of cardio- the steady state cardio and the circuit training cardio. Understanding the difference between these two is the secret in effectively incorporating cardio exercises to your weight loss program.
Steady state cardio includes running on a treadmill, cycling on the bike and basically anything that is done while stationary. The main reason is because these methods usually test ones endurance and are therefore utilized by endurance athletes who need to run for miles at races. You have different goals and stationary cardio will not reach them.
Circuit training cardio on the other hand such as the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a far more effective cardio exercise. These high intensity programs involve performing a set of different exercises and doing them in intervals of about 30 seconds each with 10 seconds rest in between. Another major reason why these exercises are more effective is that they consume less time. One can spend as few as 10 minutes a day but get an intense workout which burns fat like crazy. A simple example of such a workout is alternating 30 seconds walking, jogging and running and then repeating the process.
The truth is Cardio exercises can be your greatest tool for weight loss if and only if you select the right training program.
