You burn roughly half the number of calories walking a mile as you do running the same distance. In case you need a guideline on how much cardio to do each week, I have come up with an extremely simple formula. For every pound you weigh, you need to do a minute of cardio. Super simple. So if you weigh 150 pounds, I want you to do 150 minutes of cardio per week. You can choose to split it up whatever way you wish: You can do five days of cardio for thirty minutes each session, two sessions each lasting one hour plus one thirty-minute session, and so on. You can even do one session of two and a half hours if you leave it to the last minute
To Stretch or Not to Stretch: That Is the Question
Should you stretch? This is yet another topic in fitness where you will find strong arguments supporting both sides of the issue. It would make a phenomenal topic for a debate class. Much of the confusion has been caused by a small group of studies, which really don’t apply to the majority of us who are trying to be fit and injury free. The question needs to be rephrased to be not “Should we stretch?” but When what, and how should we stretch?
Mix Up Your Cardio. Often
We gravitate to doing what we like and what we are good at. This is one of the primary reasons we ultimately plateau and stop seeing results. Your body is an extremely intelligent machine and adapts quickly to the stressors placed on it. Not only do you need to vary the workouts you do on your favorite piece of cardio equipment, you also need to get off that machine occasionally and try something new. Here are some suggestions for how you can shake up your cardio routine.
Circuit Workouts Are Not Always the Answer
Mixing strength training with cardio is one of the best ways to maximize your workouts, but circuit workouts are not always the way to go. Sometimes we need (or want) to just lift weights. On other days straight cardio workouts are called for. It’s kind of like peanut butter and chocolate for me. I love them both. But some days I want one or the other, while other days I want them together, as in Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. It’s the same for cardio and strength training. Separate. Together. Both are good. Mix them up.
Four Great Workouts for Any Cardio Machine
Variation is one of the major keys to success when it come to getting in shape. Variation is one of the major keys to success when it come to getting in shape. Many people do the same exact workout day in and day out, then wonder why their bodies stop changing. You must constantly confuse your body, thus forcing it to adapt. The changes can be simple. Treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, it doesn’t matter. You can take these four essential formats and work them into your program to stay mentally stimulated and keep your results coming.
