Cardio Impact: Effects of Popular Cardio Methods

Cardio Impact: Effects of Popular Cardio MethodsZach BashoreMay 03, 2006 Cardiovascular activity is difficult to enjoy and it is even tougher when you do the same exercises every day. This article is going to give you an insight of the most popular methods of cardio available. You are going to learn all about walking, jogging, sprinting, dancing, cycling, swimming, and rollerblading. My goal is to make a long article seem short and not bore you with unnessecary details that won`t help you achieve results quickly. The first method of cardio that I am going to explain is walking. Walking is the most common form of cardio exercise, and some people don`t even realize that they are doing cardiovascular activity just by walking around the house. Walking is a very low-impact exercise, and is one of the few cardio exercises that can be incorporated into your own lifestyle. Another form of walking that can be used is power walking. Power walking at the gym is easy because you can just hop on a treadmill and take off. You should choose a walking routine that emphasizes incline movements and you should alternate paces to shock your muscles into new growth. Jogging is the most common exercise known to the public. Most jogging program`s paces are determined on one`s physical conditioning. Beginner joggers should practice speed walking before they progress to a jogging routine. Jogging is not for everyone because it can be hard on your knees and is simply not an option when it is zero degrees outside. Jogging is a very good cardiovascular exercise because it burns twice as many calories per hour than that of walking, and it should be used by individuals wanting fast weight loss results. Sprinting is running as fast as you can until you cannot run any further. This method of cardio is more suited towards HIIT and should not be used by beginners. Sprinting is the quickest form of cardio that can be performed to burn calories because it only takes five to ten minutes to get an effective workout. However, sprinting can be dangerous to your body if proper warm-up isn`t in place. Make sure that you stretch thoroughly prior to sprinting because the quick movements may shock your muscles into an injury. Dance is another popular method of cardio and is actually one of the few cardio exercises that are fun. Everywhere you look, it is almost certain that you can find a dance class to join. There are so many different dance styles available that it would be impossible to list all of them. If joining a dance class doesn`t appeal to you, but you still want to learn how to dance, then these DVD videos are the perfect investment:

1)Tae-Bo

2)Carmen Electra's The Lap Dance & Hip Hop

3)Darrin's Dance Grooves

4)You Got Served - Take It to the Streets (Dance Instructional)

Indoor cycling, also known as spinning, is a new health club craze. This intense workout targets the lower body, giving the quads, glutes, and hamstrings a good workout. Using stationary bikes that aim at increasing endurance, classes using the spinning exercise is a perfect way of getting a hardcore workout and motivational boost at the same time. Almost every health club has a cycling class that you can join and the application process is easy. Each forty-five minute session that you perform will burn 500-700 calories, who wouldnt want to indoor cycle? The best part about swimming is that it is not stressful on your body. Water aerobics offer the same support as swimming, but instead of propelling your body from one end of the pool to the other, you use the water as resistance to burn calories and build muscle. Both methods are refreshing alternatives to boring cardio and will give you a good workout without getting sweaty. Another reason swimming is a good exercise is that the water decreases the stress on your joints, and it helps people with joint problems incorporate exercise into their lifestyle. For people who live in cold areas, ice skating is the preferred method over rollerblading. However both methods serve the same purpose and that is to get you active. These exercises are fun to do and are great for the lower body. If you want a more challenging exercise you can simply rollerblad uphill, but be careful when you are going back down because the excess speed may cause you to crash. Which brings me to the downside of rollerblading. It is a very dangerous exercise and you must wear protective equipment at all times. You also might try to show off when your ability levels are not so great and you could injure yourself if you are not careful. Cardiovacular exercise wouldn`t be fun without the different methods that are available. Try them all out and determine which ones that you like best. If you`re a beginner, I suggest that you start out by going on a walk or a harmless swim. But once you get more advanced, then start incorporating more of the techniques that I explained above. Cardio doesn`t always have to be hard, it can actually be fun if you approach it properly. Until next time, later.

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