Do you NEED cardio?

jenifer7teen

digidoomed wrote: »

jenifer7teen wrote: »

amusedmonkey wrote: »

You need cardio if you wish to increase your cardiovascular fitness. You also need cardio if you're generally sedentary but would still like to eat like a normal person. Other than that, it's up to you. HIIT is not the only form of cardio out there (and 10 minutes of it barely burns any calories). Cardio is not required for weight loss, but neither is strength training. A calorie deficit is all that's required for weight loss, but augmenting your diet with strength training changes your appearance if that's the look you're going for and cardio gives you calories to play with. Other than that, both have great health benefits.

If you still wish to add cardio, try out different things and see which you might enjoy.

Was going to type basically the same things. ^
In addition, its hard to imagine not wanting to involve cardio in some form in your life. It makes you better able to participate in so many enjoyable outdoor activities, improves long term health/mood/sleep, and burns calories so you dont have to spend your life eating such small portions.
I guess if the only priority is weight loss the truth is you dont have to do ANY form of exercise. Just eat very very little.

May i ask what cardio activities have you tried with any regularity? What is it about cardio that you hate more specifically?

I save cardio for the end of my workouts so I tend to just sprint on a treadmill on/off to just get it out the way quicker. I also have tried HIIT which I like, but I feel like I work harder on the treadmill (probably because I'm out of breath quicker). I also tried cycling but its not my cup of tea. And I don't really HATE cardio that much, I just definitely don't look forward to it

Hmm well confined to a gym cardio can be harder because you dont get all the scenery changes and feeling of accomplishment that is biking or running on a trail etc.

But yeah, i think cardio is hard *heavy breathing, sweating* so a lot of people dont like it...However it gets much "easier" feeling once you do it regularly and condition yourself. Have you ever done it consistently? I know biking (outdoors!) was very motivating because of how quickly i could add miles and get faster once i did it 5+ days a week. I mean strength training i guess i feel proud to add a few more lbs but its just not as inspiring of a measurement as being able to run or bike up a huge hill, or be able to plan adventures/activities knowing i am fit enough to acconplish them. Have you ever commited to cardio training consitently enough where you felt confident in the activity and saw yourself making serious improvement? To me THAT is super motivating on days id rather kind of half *kitten* a workout and not break a sweat.

One other thing, do you have a heart rate monitor/fit bit? This to me is really inspiring from a health standpoint. After having my baby i focused on biking as my primary cardio and my resting heart rate steadily dropped for almost a year until it reached 50. I took a break and got kind of forced into gym primarily (since they have daycare). I made great strides with strength training and accomplished goals like doing pullups etc. But i significantly reduced cardio time and foubd strength focus didnt do nearly as much for my mood and energy levels. And my resting heart rate rose back to nearly 60. So this year i am focusing on running and in about 6 months ive gone from kind of dreading a few mile run to craving running 6-10 miles. At my age and bigger body size i seriously didnt think id ever feel this way, but building the habit to start seems to be the hardest part. My heart rate is back down to 50- 52 already. Seriously, to me knowing that i have that degree of important heart health benefit from cardio is very motivating on its own. Maybe seeing health results would help inspire you too?

DebLaBounty

I personally need cardio keep boredom at bay. I absolutely hate treadmills and Stairmasters and ellipticals because there's nothing to see. So I run outside and the scenery is great, and I have to pay attention to proper gait and not tripping over rocks. On rainy days I take a one hour Zumba class. Again, that adds a certain fun factor. I like the idea of my heart muscle benefiting from the cardio workout, too. And I find the cardio is a great stress reliever. Did it help me lose weight? Everyone says it won't, but I lost weight while paying attention to calories in/calories out and enjoyed my weight loss program much more than I otherwise would have. Maybe I'm making this up, but my experience has been that there's a crossover effect. I improved my stamina doing cardio, which I think helped me improve my ability to progressively lift higher weights.

jhanleybrown

I think anyone who uses the word "cardio" is disposed to not liking it because it means you are likely on some gym machine.

But it's good for calorie deficits if you want to lose weight. And it's really good for heart health and possibly your brain health.

I went to a lecture on this that made the case there are 4 "types" of (cardio) excercisers. 1) Competitors, 2) Peope who do it because they know they should, 3) "the Smell the Roses" types...people who find some activity that they enjoy maybe because its outdoors or maybe the activity is just fun for them in particular (like the boxer or Zoomba person in this thread, and 4) the "Social" exerciser...so take part in some exercise that has a social aspect.

Anyway, the study argued that over time...1 and 2 eventually stop exercising and 3 and 4 don't.

I used to be 1 but am now more 3 and 4. I cycle with a group and do a lot of trail running (which I love) but I refer to the treadmill as the dreadmill and only run on one in dire circumstances.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

jhanleybrown wrote: »

I think anyone who uses the word "cardio" is disposed to not liking it because it means you are likely on some gym machine.

But it's good for calorie deficits if you want to lose weight. And it's really good for heart health and possibly your brain health.

I went to a lecture on this that made the case there are 4 "types" of (cardio) excercisers. 1) Competitors, 2) Peope who do it because they know they should, 3) "the Smell the Roses" types...people who find some activity that they enjoy maybe because its outdoors or maybe the activity is just fun for them in particular (like the boxer or Zoomba person in this thread, and 4) the "Social" exerciser...so take part in some exercise that has a social aspect.

Anyway, the study argued that over time...1 and 2 eventually stop exercising and 3 and 4 don't.

I used to be 1 but am now more 3 and 4. I cycle with a group and do a lot of trail running (which I love) but I refer to the treadmill as the dreadmill and only run on one in dire circumstances.

a calorie deficit is all that is needed to lose weight. you dont need to do cardio or anything else if you dont want to. while cardio is good for health its not needed for weight loss. exercise can create a bigger deficit. many people cant do cardio or any exercise and lose weight without it.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

DebLaBounty wrote: »

I personally need cardio keep boredom at bay. I absolutely hate treadmills and Stairmasters and ellipticals because there's nothing to see. So I run outside and the scenery is great, and I have to pay attention to proper gait and not tripping over rocks. On rainy days I take a one hour Zumba class. Again, that adds a certain fun factor. I like the idea of my heart muscle benefiting from the cardio workout, too. And I find the cardio is a great stress reliever. Did it help me lose weight? Everyone says it won't, but I lost weight while paying attention to calories in/calories out and enjoyed my weight loss program much more than I otherwise would have. Maybe I'm making this up, but my experience has been that there's a crossover effect. I improved my stamina doing cardio, which I think helped me improve my ability to progressively lift higher weights.

you lost weight because you were in a deficit of calories whether it was from eating less, working out more or a combo you.cardio will improve stamina and it can help with higher weights. I experienced that too