Improve poor cardio

jaciejaciexoxo

I had a period of time where I was sedentary for a year which took a toll on my cardiovascular system so I need enough cardio on non lift days to help get back in shape. Nothing will be too intense considering I’m basically out of shape right now & have chronic anemia which makes things worse (doc cleared to workout so long as I listen to my body and don’t go straight beast mode right away)

I just don’t know what to do & cant afford a pt at the moment...any advice on beginner things/exercises/workouts that will help me improve significantly? And the time it takes to get results/increase intensity?

Side note: I am a beginner in the fitness world & not doing cardio to lose weight just for health so any tips/resources on figuring out how much extra to eat to make up for burned cals would be much appreciated...i know how I explained things may be unclear so pls feel free to ask if you need clarity on anything.

Thank you❤️

NorthCascades

Walk, especially uphill. Push the pace until your breathing is slightly affected. Nice low impact way to exercise your CV system, without buying any gear.

Take your body weight in pounds, divide it by 3, and that's how many calories you burn per mile. That formula is for flat ground but hills don't actually have that much effect on calorie burn.

TavistockToad

If you can walk at a decent speed for 30 minutes then try c25k

sijomial

What exercise do you enjoy?
What facilities do you have available?

Definitely build as much movement into your daily routine as possible too, it all adds up.

TeaBea

Walking can be great exercise. Start at your own pace and build. I like Leslie Sansone Just Walk. There are workouts on Youtube and on DVD. Various low impact moves without choreography so you can go slow and not get lost. https://www.youtube.com/user/walkathomemedia

jaciejaciexoxo

sijomial wrote: »

What exercise do you enjoy?
What facilities do you have available?

Definitely build as much movement into your daily routine as possible too, it all adds up.

I LOVE weights...I started lifting last year and did so for the greater portion of 2017 (got my heaviest ever & felt the best I ever had).

kimny72

The beauty of walking is that it's functional. I used to do cardio DVDs in my living room and thought I was in pretty good shape. Then I went on a pretty easy hike and was shocked by how hard it was for me! IMHO start walking and if you want progress to jogging/running. I started with 15 mins and once it became easy worked my way up to 30. Then I started building in intervals of jogging or running. Note: I'm not a trainer or anything like that, just my personal experience.

sijomial

jaciejaciexoxo wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

What exercise do you enjoy?
What facilities do you have available?

Definitely build as much movement into your daily routine as possible too, it all adds up.

I LOVE weights...I started lifting last year and did so for the greater portion of 2017 (got my heaviest ever & felt the best I ever had).

Well that's good but what cardio facilities/equipment do you have and enjoy?

I'm biased towards cycling as my knees are a mess but it's also an exercise where you can modulate your effort very accurately which can help when you are building from a low base.

jaciejaciexoxo

sijomial wrote: »

jaciejaciexoxo wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

What exercise do you enjoy?
What facilities do you have available?

Definitely build as much movement into your daily routine as possible too, it all adds up.

I LOVE weights...I started lifting last year and did so for the greater portion of 2017 (got my heaviest ever & felt the best I ever had).

Well that's good but what cardio facilities/equipment do you have and enjoy?

I'm biased towards cycling as my knees are a mess but it's also an exercise where you can modulate your effort very accurately which can help when you are building from a low base.

I’ll be going to a gym that has pretty much everything and there’s a pool nearby...When i was working out i really liked doing short ab hiit sessions with lots of planking movements but I have limited range in my foot from surgery at the moment...I haven’t really tried any other forms of cardio

sijomial

jaciejaciexoxo wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

jaciejaciexoxo wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

What exercise do you enjoy?
What facilities do you have available?

Definitely build as much movement into your daily routine as possible too, it all adds up.

I LOVE weights...I started lifting last year and did so for the greater portion of 2017 (got my heaviest ever & felt the best I ever had).

Well that's good but what cardio facilities/equipment do you have and enjoy?

I'm biased towards cycling as my knees are a mess but it's also an exercise where you can modulate your effort very accurately which can help when you are building from a low base.

I’ll be going to a gym that has pretty much everything and there’s a pool nearby...When i was working out i really liked doing short ab hiit sessions with lots of planking movements but I have limited range in my foot from surgery at the moment...I haven’t really tried any other forms of cardio

Then try everything that doesn't aggravate your injury. You might like variety, you might find the one thing that inspires you.

BTW - there's no such thing as "short ab HIIT sessions", that's just marketing nonsense, planking is just about as far removed from HIIT as it's possible to get! (Which doesn't make it a bad exercise, just not HIIT in the slightest.)
Just as well as true HIIT (bursts of maximal effort cardio) would be totally inappropriate for what you state is your current fitness level.

whatalazyidiot

I agree with walking to start with. I like it because I can listen to music or listen to an audio book or watch something on my phone if I'm on the treadmill. But then you can also walk outside or pretty much anywhere, and that's free.

I was soooo out of shape when I started, and honestly still am to a certain degree. But every week, I get better, am able to handle more hills (or inclines on the treadmill), and can go a little faster or longer.

lorrpb

Swimming, water aerobics (various levels and styles of classes are offered) or just water walking.

jaciejaciexoxo

sijomial wrote: »

jaciejaciexoxo wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

jaciejaciexoxo wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

What exercise do you enjoy?
What facilities do you have available?

Definitely build as much movement into your daily routine as possible too, it all adds up.

I LOVE weights...I started lifting last year and did so for the greater portion of 2017 (got my heaviest ever & felt the best I ever had).

Well that's good but what cardio facilities/equipment do you have and enjoy?

I'm biased towards cycling as my knees are a mess but it's also an exercise where you can modulate your effort very accurately which can help when you are building from a low base.

I’ll be going to a gym that has pretty much everything and there’s a pool nearby...When i was working out i really liked doing short ab hiit sessions with lots of planking movements but I have limited range in my foot from surgery at the moment...I haven’t really tried any other forms of cardio

Then try everything that doesn't aggravate your injury. You might like variety, you might find the one thing that inspires you.

BTW - there's no such thing as "short ab HIIT sessions", that's just marketing nonsense, planking is just about as far removed from HIIT as it's possible to get! (Which doesn't make it a bad exercise, just not HIIT in the slightest.)
Just as well as true HIIT (bursts of maximal effort cardio) would be totally inappropriate for what you state is your current fitness level.

I think it may be better described as ab circuit training then (ex 1 min on 30 secs off each exercise & repeat) but by lots of planking movement I meant on rest intervals I would do some variation of plank instead...I’m till learning the lingo lol & thanks!

Machka9

One of the things that helps my cardio is climbing stairs. I work in a 10 storey building. So at first, 5 flights of stairs was a challenge, but I gradually built up.

Nice thing about it is that it doesn't take much time and can be done on quick breaks throughout the day.

I also do a lot of transportational/utility walking ... it's how I get places. It's brisk and often up and down hills.