What is Cardio exercise and why should I do it…

One key misunderstanding is that cardiovascular training depends on and is defined by what equipment you use or what type of exercise you do, i.e: Weights (dumbbells, barbells, etc…) are for strength training and treadmills and bikes (running and cycling) are for cardiovascular training. In fact, the type of training you are performing (strength, cardio, power, endurance) is defined by the intensity, volume, duration, and pace that you are training at (and this in term, will define which energy system your are using as the main source of fuel).

Let us put that into context to make it very easy to understand: If you use light enough weights, and train long enough at a pace and intensity that is fairly high for your own ability (allowed by the lightness of the weights), you will find yourself breathing hard and heavy, sweating and you will take time to recover and catch your breath, just as after a run. Now on the other hand, if you run short inclined sprints up a hill or on a treadmill, with plenty of rest in between each sprint, you will most likely experience muscular pain in your legs (related to strength training and muscular exertion) before your breath and heart rate limit your ability to exercise.

That would be an example of training your cardiovascular system with weights and training muscular strength with running.

Great, but why is cardiovascular training so good and important for us anyway?

Well: the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) describes cardiorespiratory fitness as: “the ability of the circulatory and respiratory system to supply oxygen-rich blood to skeletal muscles during sustained physical activity.” Meaning: it is the ability to breathe well and efficiently. In a more practical context, having an efficient cardiorespiratory system will allow you to run and catch the train without as much panting and sweating.

But the benefits of cardiovascular training go way beyond this aspect: indeed, if you read that quote again, you will realise it mentions the circulatory system, and that is our veins and arteries. So cardiovascular training will keep our precious blood vessels in top shape and our heart running at full potential even as we grow old.

Last but not least, if you sustain a cardiovascular effort long enough at a high enough intensity, the body will favour fat as a fuel, after you have exhausted your small sugar energy reserve (that happens after a couple of minutes only), you will therefore burn a lot of calories from fat during your workout, and your metabolism will stay elevated hours after your workout (meaning you will burn more calories than you usually would).

Now that we have a information – cialisdailyuse.com clearer vision of the benefits or Cardio, there is only one question left…who will you book your Cardio Pilates session with?

To book your Cardio Pilate session please contact one of the participating instructors.