Jun
15
Cardio: Is it really necessary?
Filed Under Ask the Trainer
Oh, the dreaded cardio. People either love it or hate it. It seems there in nothing in between.
Do you still have to do it? It depends on what your health and fitness goals are. You can lose weight and lose excess fat through weight training and a calorie-reduced diet alone. But, if you are trying to improve your health, reduce your chances of disease and improve your changes of living a long and happy life, I would suggest doing cardio. Here’s why:
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Cardio strengthens your heart. Your heart is a muscle – a very busy muscle, beating 101,000 times a day and nearly 3 billion times in your lifetime. And like any other muscle you can build it and make it stronger. The stronger your heart is, the more efficient it is, the better it works and the longer it will last.
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Cardio increases your lung capacity and reduces your risk of developing disease. With regular cardio exercise you are able to transport more oxygen through your body. This means you will be able to do more work before feeling “winded.” It also lowers your chance of getting hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, osteoporosis, obesity, anxiety, depression, and breast and colon cancers.
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And most importantly cardio makes you feel good. When you do cardio training, your body releases hormones called endorphins – to reduce your pain. Endorphins are nature’s pain killers and are responsible for the famous “runners high.” They affect the same part of the brain as opium and heroin. So, now there is no need to share dirty needles in a back alley to feel good…just go for a run.
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