How much cardio do YOU do?

I used to do a mix of weights and cardio, and I need to get back into that. I usually run about 10 miles a week and row about 30 minutes a week.

Do you enjoy cardio? If so, then do cardio

I'm a runner. If I'm not training for anything, I run about 30-45 minutes, 3x/week plus a strength/cardio circuit class for 1 hr, 2x/week. If I'm training for a race, my mileage goes up accordingly.

@brittcody we have very similar goals. I run 3 days a week, 2 days of speed work and one long tempo run so the times vary. I have recently incorporated cv and resistance circuit training to lean out and build muscle. With the exception of my 10-13 mile run, all my other work outs are pretty much 30 minutes or less. To be honest, I look and feel better than last year when I was training for a half ironman and putting in TONS of miles and hours.

I ride horses 2-3 days a week 30-45 minutes. If you don't think thats cardio, then you've never ridden a horse.

Also try and go for a hike 1-2 days a week, weather dependent.

Lift 4-5x/week
..and do Cardio a whoopin' 1-2x/week

I do not enjoy weights AT ALL, so I run about 50km per week and incorporate 1 or 2 interval/hills workouts in there. People talk a lot of crap about runners building no muscle, but in the year and a bit I've been running regularly (while maintaining my weight), I've seen a huge difference in both the strength and visual appearance of my lower body. It's done great things for my body and even my upper body looks more muscular since my body fat % has dropped a bit.

I force myself into a short strength training session once or twice a week, but I'm not doing any kind of progressive program or pushing myself much so I think I can pretty much attribute the positive changes I've seen to running.

I do ski in winter and cycle in summer as well, but not enough to bother including it when I'm figuring out how much I exercise.

All this to say do cardio if you want, do strength training if you want, both is best but don't worry too much about doing a bit more of one than the other unless you have a specific goal (lift x kilos or run x distance in x time.) For the sake of your heart and your bone density, yeah, it's best to do both cardio and load-bearing exercises, but I really think for most people whose primary aim is just health, it shouldn't be such a fraught thing. Totally different if you DO have those specific kinds of goals or are training for something in particular, but if you just want to drop a little bf% and feel happy and healthy, I'm not sure how much it matters which percentage of what you do.

I have lost 50 pounds beginning in May 2016 by doing about .5 hour of cardio 6 days a week and eating at a deficit. A few times a week I will do light strength training or toning. I make sure to walk at least 10,000 steps a day - yes, I know it is not a "magic number" but it is the measure I use for myself.

NorthCascades wrote: »

I hate lifting. It's incredibly boring. There's no adventure, no excitement, no fun. It makes me look and feel better, so I do it, but it's a chore.

Have you ever tried Olympic lifting...I much prefer it. I do other stuff, but the Oly stuff is what gets me in the door.

I enjoy all kinds of exercise, so I mix it up. Probably do some form of cardio 6 days a week. I do water aerobics 70-90 minutes 3-4 times a week which incorporates both cardio and strength. I also like to walk, hike, and play disc golf. It's still cardio, but depending on my walking partner (or just myself), the hike, or the disc golf course will determine how intense of a workout it is. I have lifted heavy in the past, but right now I'm mostly doing bodyweight and light dumbbell exercises between the more cardio-esque workouts.

I also push myself to do yoga a couple times a week because I know it keeps me bendy and prevents injury doing the other things. I never regret doing it, but wish I could say I love it as much as other forms of exercise.

Since this year, I have started to go swimming 3 times a week for at least 45 minutes. If my tennis club is starting the outdoor season, I like to play tennis too but from now on I do this and I feel great. Unfortunately I don't like jogging, no matter how hart I try. While I am playing tennis, I am not that focused on "just moving around" and sometimes I forget about how much I am running on the field. And when I swim, I don't feel my whole weight of course and it's a lot easier then.