Do you have to "mix up" your cardio?

Nedra19455 · May 2014

My favorite form of exercise is walking. I just enjoy taking long walks in my neighborhood with my kid in the stroller. And according to my Fitbit, I can burn a fair number of calories while doing so.

I have also started to incorporate some light jogging. I have a treadmill and I know that once the weather gets too hot or too cold, I won't want to be walking outside as much, but I also won't want to be on the treadmill for the length of time that it would take to get the same calorie burn as I get from my long walks in the neighborhood.

My father-in-law was telling me that my husband and I should join the gym that is near my house and was raving about how if I go a certain number of times a month, it will only cost $15 a month, etc. I explained that, between my treadmill, my free weights, and my neighborhood, I'm actually pretty satisfied with the exercise that I can get without spending any additional money at all. He kept saying that I needed to change this up, though, and do different things (like biking and ellipticals and . . . I don't know . . . . stairs?) because otherwise I wouldn't be working all the muscle groups and my body would somehow stagnate? (I didn't really understand -- basically he was saying that there was a problem with doing the same type of activity and that you needed multiple kinds of machines to be able to be successful.)

Is this true? Keep in mind, my goal is not to "build" muscle mass or be "ripped" or run marathons up skyscrapers. My goal is to tone and lose weight. I had a female bodybuilder tell me that I should probably avoid lifting anything heavier than 12-lb weights because of something to do with my body type. I am very strong for being so overweight -- my main issue is that I want to slim down and improve my overall cardiovascular health.

If I'm just walking/jogging/running (sometimes using the incline on the treadmill and frequently going up real stairs that take you from one floor to another), is that not enough? Do I have to be on a bunch of different machines in order to effectively burn calories and become lean?

Thanks!

ninerbuff · May 2014

Exercise is for fitness and health. Calorie deficit is for weight loss. If you want to keep ALL muscles working, just do a full body workout with at least one exercise for each body part.
And cardio is cardio. It's exercise for your heart. There are different intensities and some will increase your cardio "fitness", but one could keep doing the same cardio daily and stay fit.

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thavoice · May 2014

No, you dont need a gym to do many things that you are wanting.
Is it good to mix thigns up?

I like to mix up my cardio workouts but dont need a gym to do it.
Sprints (HIIT), long slower runs, tempo runs, etc.

Hit the track and do sprints and a set up pushups/situps after each lap. Be creative. To me it is more about keeping it fresh so I dont get bored and quit than anything else.

MomTo3Lovez · May 2014

I don't think whether you exercise in a gym or out of the gym it won't change the results. Just keep doing what youa re doing if it makes you happy and especially since right now with the nice weather you can do your walking/jogging with your child that's a bonus in my book. Do what makes you happy.

CMoeDee · May 2014

...what?

No.

Do the exercise you enjoy and can keep doing consistently. Exercise to improve your health and not to feed some sense of being the bestest most efficient exerciser ever. While I personally have some questions about the 12 lb thing, I don't know the whole story here so I'll stay away from that.

I have seen so many people quit because they wrote a check their lifestyle can't cash, myself included. As long as you're comfortable with your program and progress, you keep doing you. You know your body better than anyone else, so take your time, be willing to experiment, and don't be scared to tell the "you're doing it wrong" people to take a seat.

knra_grl · May 2014

After I had my son (which was almost 24 yrs ago) I lost all the baby weight walking with the stroller. It's great exercise and there are a lot of hills where I live so pushing that stroller up a big hill made me break a sweat for sure.

You don't need to spend money at the gym, you can do plenty with free weights at home and along with your walks and jogging you are probably doing fine. There are plenty of lifting programs you can do with free weights at home. I would recommend getting The New Rules of Lifting for Women - great book that explains a lot.

Also with summer coming there are so many more activities we can do in the nice weather.

Unless of course your father in law wants to gift you a membership to the gym and babysit while you work out

bebeisfit · May 2014

The idea behind 'mixing it up' is that your body will adjust to your workout if you do the same exact thing day after day. At some point, your body becomes more efficient and burns less calories.

That being said, I'm a believer if you don't like your exercise, you might not do it. You said you have free weights but you didn't mention using them

There are tons of ways to challenge your body with walking - going at a different pace (intervals), hills and a sprint or two.

Strength training is good for so many reasons - google it or look it up on Fitness magazine.com. You won't be bulky. Trust me, I see lots of very strong women that work really really hard in the gym and they look amazing..not bulky. I work medium hard and I'm still quite 'doughy'.

Explore other workouts for variety and enjoyment - you never know what you'll like. Zumba? Swimming? yoga?

Have Fun!!!

Do you have to "mix up" your cardio?

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