Cardio!

melbot2point0
melbot2point0 Posts: 9 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
After a lazy summer, I've joined a floor hockey team and we had our first game on Thursday. I can't say I was surprised that I struggled with cardio. I want to be able to improve on that as quickly as possible!

What are your favourite cardio exercises? What do you consider most effective? How do you motivate yourself to keep working on it? Any tips would be helpful!

Replies

  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    I like bleacher runs and HIIT work mostly. I do walk a lot though. Main things is playing tennis 4-5 times a week for a few hours each.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Rowing machine.
    I have only just started with it this autumn. I have never found any pleasure in running or all the other cardio type machines, so gave rowing a try and really like it. Gives a good full body workout.
    Swimming is my other new cardio with strength benefits.

    Must admit my motivation right now is the novelty, but I have found once I like something, and it has a purpose, as well as health of course, I don't have a problem sticking to it.

    Cheers, h.
    Water sports in the Caribbean are a good incentive too.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    Running well within your aerobic capacity will develop endurance and deliver speed in time while minimizing the risk of injury. If you can't talk out loud without gasping while running, slow down some more. Give it some time, it'll work. Guaranteed.
  • scottver2
    scottver2 Posts: 53 Member
    edited September 2015
    I've gotten the best results from alternating steady state and HIIT. Usually 30 min steady state on the stairclimber or bike, then the following day 15 - 20 minutes HIIT on bike or stairclimber. I also am very focused on my lifting and have a knee injury, so I choose those two forms of cardio instead of running. However, the same principle would apply for running
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    melbot2point0 wrote: »
    After a lazy summer, I've joined a floor hockey team and we had our first game on Thursday. I can't say I was surprised that I struggled with cardio. I want to be able to improve on that as quickly as possible!

    What are your favourite cardio exercises? What do you consider most effective? How do you motivate yourself to keep working on it? Any tips would be helpful!

    Given that your objective is related to hockey, then you need to concentrate on aerobic endurance. That means running, cycling or rowing. OF the three running would be most appropriate because it's closest to what you're doing during a match.

    As @mwyvr described.
  • kmab1985
    kmab1985 Posts: 295 Member
    I love spinning, GRIT & bodycombat (I think these are classed as cardio)...GRIT is definitely my hiit class which I only do once a week, its brutal and don't think I could manage more than one class but I feel so good afterwards
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i third what @mwyvr said. (get fitted for shoes to prevent injury)
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    edited September 2015
    melbot2point0 wrote: »
    I can't say I was surprised that I struggled with cardio. I want to be able to improve on that as quickly as possible!

    When you say you struggled with "cardio" what exactly do you mean?

    Obviously if you want to get better at the sport of your choosing your best bet is to play more of that sport and have supplemental training / drills to support that. Does your team / club have regular training sessions you could go to?

    Otherwise the answer is to do more easy running to improve aerobic endurance as suggested and once you have a reasonable base level throw in some threshold / tempo / interval sessions to mimic the demands of a match.
  • armylife
    armylife Posts: 196 Member
    msf74 wrote: »
    melbot2point0 wrote: »
    I can't say I was surprised that I struggled with cardio. I want to be able to improve on that as quickly as possible!

    When you say you struggled with "cardio" what exactly do you mean?

    Obviously if you want to get better at the sport of your choosing your best bet is to play more of that sport and have supplemental training / drills to support that. Does your team / club have regular training sessions you could go to?

    Otherwise the answer is to do more easy running to improve aerobic endurance as suggested and once you have a reasonable base level throw in some threshold / tempo / interval sessions to mimic the demands of a match.

    This. Establish a solid base through some form of Long slow distance that mimics your sport, then do sport specific drills to improve at that sport. You really have to do both if you want to see big improvements, but if it is just a friendly game and not very competitive you can focus on more HIIT to get better.

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