Studies have shown that exercising for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week produces the best results. The thing is, the training can cover a wide range of activities provided your heart rate is raised to a level appropriate for your age and stays at that level for most of the training period.
So what type of cardio exercise should I do?
That’s the fun part – almost anything, provided it’s safe and meets the criteria for getting your heart rate up. I like to mix it up, alternating brisk walking with jogging in the park one day, attending a folk dance class another, and so on. The simplest routine is also very effective – simply doing a power walk and pumping your arms at a reasonable pace offers a low-impact way to remove excess fat from your body. It’s important to keep boredom at bay and keep trying that little bit harder. For these reasons, I advocate a class or a new hobby that is both physical and fun. Some ideas include:
tennis
To go biking
Soccer
volleyball
Hike
all kinds of dancing
boxing
canoeing
rowing
To ski
waterskiing
windsurfing
surfing
The possibilities are literally endless and half the joy comes from mastering a new skill, which in turn boosts your newfound confidence. Ideally, you would break up your workout routine into four or five sessions, with one or two dedicated to your new hobby or sport each week. Create a fitness plan for 4 weeks of training in a diary. That’s about the time it takes for our bodies to really absorb and feel the benefits of healthy new habits.
Create a comment section to record your observations on how your training session went. This is where you can really work on increasing your motivation, using self-praising when needed and paying close attention to how YOU felt during your session.
Was it fun? Easier than last time? A little more than expected? Jot it all down and you’ll see how you progress in the coming weeks. You can also create a space where you can suggest changes for yourself or just write down what specific exercises have really worked for you.
Remember, it’s all about taking responsibility for your own body, and the more you do it, the more motivated you will be to do what’s right for you.
Thanks to Victoria Johnson