Cardio For Beginners - What You Must Know!

Let's face it, there's a good chance you hate doing cardio. There was a time when I did too, until I had my light bulb moment which I am going to share with you now. After making this simple change to my cardio programs, not only did I start to enjoy doing my cardio, but I also improved by leaps and bounds (hah) in both speed and endurance. So what is this magic method that I discovered?

I started wearing a heart rate monitor. If you're scratching your head wondering what it is, wait no longer! A heart rate monitor is a small strap that you put around your chest which has mini sensors that press against your ribs. These sensors pick up on your heart beats and report them via signal to a wrist watch which tells you how many beats per minute your heart is putting out.

You need to know your maximum heart rate (MHR) first. This is simply the number 220 minus your age. Then, the aerobic heart rate zone is between 70% and 80% of your MHR. I personally stick with 75% and try to keep it within a few beats + or - from that number. By finding 75% of your MHR, you have found the HR you need to maintain for the full 45-minute cardio workout. For me, this equation is 220 - 25 = 195. Then 195 *.75 = 146 beats per minute. This is the number of beats of minute I want to stay at for 45-minutes of aerobic endurance training.

Here is where the good news really starts to kick in. Training in this zone, whether you are a complete beginner to cardio or a complete cardio rockstar, is the most efficient way of improving your aerobic endurance. When I first started, I was walking at a moderate pace and my heart rate was hitting 146BPM pretty easily without the pesky burning legs and lungs. Does that mean someone my age who is full-on-running at 146BPM is getting a better aerobic endurance workout than me? NOPE! We are getting the exact same workout, as we are both operating at 75% of our maximum heart rates, and they are having just as easy of a time running as I am while walking! The only difference is they are burning more calories since they are moving at a faster speed. However, the quality of our workout in terms of improving our aerobic endurance is exactly the same.

Over time, I found myself needing to jog intermittently to keep my heart rate around 146BPM, as walking was no longer cutting it. I would jog until it hit around 150BPM, then walk until it fell to around 140BPM. Again, after a couple weeks, I found myself in a full jog for the entire 45-minutes while my heart rate hovered at 146BPM. Before I knew it I was running faster and faster, keeping my heart rate at 146BPM. My heart was becoming more efficient, and that intense burning sensation in my legs and chest was nowhere to be found. I started to not hate cardio anymore. Woo!

If you have been struggling with improving your endurance, I highly recommend you get a heart rate monitor. Try to spend no less than $60, but no more than $80 on a heart rate monitor. Less than $60 and it is going to break or give you inaccurate numbers, and if it's more than $80 it is going to have lots of features that you quite frankly do not need there is no need to pay that much. Doing your cardio without a heart rate monitor is like lifting weights in a pitch black room. How do you know if you are doing too little or too much weight if you can't see it? That same applies with cardio! You HAVE to see your beats per minute to get the most out of your cardio workout.

Proper Aerobic Training Will Take in These Five Aspects

In order to be effective, cardio training doesn't require a lot of time, but requires that you remain consistent with it. Most experts maintain that a half hour to forty-five minutes a day three or four times a week is ample. Obviously the more you are able to do without getting exhausted the more benefit you will gain. With a proper plan that you stay disciplined with, anyone should be able to commit that much time. Remember, this is a time commitment to provide you with a longer and healthier life.

1. When is the best time to start? Obviously, the time to start is now. You have to have a well thought-out game plan, but that doesn't mean you have to wait until it is fully formulated. Start today to eat healthy, and if you haven't joined a health club or bought your training gear yet, go out now and power-walk or ride a bike.

2. Vary your fitness routines. Keep your body guessing as to what you are going to throw at it next. It will get bored if you keep doing the same stuff every day, so look to use multiple exercises to work out the same muscle groups. Also, as you can take on more as your strength and endurance increase, intensify your workouts. Don't make them longer, make them more intense.

3. The right time of day to exercise. If you exercise prior to bedtime you may have trouble sleeping. The National Sleep Foundation has recommended not exercising at least two to three hours before bedtime. That high level of energy that you have built up will stay with you that long. If you also are doing weight training the same day, do that prior to your cardio work.

4. Eating habits. If you are doing cardio training to lose weight that certainly doesn't mean you shouldn't eat. Fat burning cardio workouts only work if you fuel the body with proper diet, and training on an empty stomach will shortcut all your hard work. What kind of foods should you be eating and when. Your optimum nutrition should come both prior to your workout as well as after.

5. Make your cardio exercises fun and interesting. How about doing your exercising outdoors? This way you can easily interact with nature and breathe fresh air. You can also simply enjoy going around the neighborhood as you get your system healthier by the minute. It is possible to make some friends among the people who also do their exercises.

When you are getting into a cardio program, there are some things that you have to be very disciplined with, such as what and when you eat and the time of day you set your training for. But there are other aspects when you should be creative and let your mind run wild. This involves the methods of exercise you use, how and where you accomplish the job, and the way you reward yourself for a job well done. If you make it fun, being consistent over the long run will be easy.