There are simple ways to add cardio into your day so that exercise doesn’t have to be a dreaded activity. If you’re looking to improve physical health, you can find easy ways to work cardio into your routine with an online search.
When life gets busy, working out can become an afterthought. But it’s important to make time for it in your schedule for the sake of your cardiovascular health. Fortunately, there are easy ways to fit in cardio.
Why Is Cardio Important?
The truth is, over 80 percent of American adults aren’t getting their recommended dose of cardio. Health experts say 150 minutes per week of cardio, or just 20 minutes per day, will help you live a healthier lifestyle.
The whole point of cardio exercise is to increase your aerobic capacity. This essentially means that when your aerobic capacity is larger, you won’t run out of breath as quickly. Improving your cardiovascular health allows the body to use oxygen more efficiently.
And regular cardiovascular exercise can offer benefits for your overall health. It can help regulate blood sugar and even reduce symptoms for people with asthma. It’s also a kickstarter for weight loss and weight regulation.
The list goes on for the benefits of cardio. It can help improve sleep and brain function as you grow older. When you reach the age of 65, you’re also more vulnerable to falls that can have troubling results. Regular cardio exercise can lower the chances of a serious fall from happening. Overall, it will make you feel more happy and can work wonders for your mental health.
Low Impact Cardio Exercises
Luckily, there are easy things you can do to help get some cardio in throughout the day. You don’t even have to buy a gym membership!
Here are a few low-impact cardio exercises you can fit into your daily routine.
1. Park Farther Away
One of the perks of driving is getting to park as close as you can to your destination and avoid having to walk far. But to get more cardio in, try parking further away every time you stop somewhere. Walking a bit farther when you visit the grocery store, mall, office, or any other location will help you.get more steps in and ta-da — cardio is added to your day.
2. Stand Up More Often
Most office workers are guilty of spending the majority of their days sitting down. As simple as standing is, it can actually become an excellent cardio workout. There are apps you can download to help you do this, such as Stand Up!. It’s a free productivity app that will track your time spent standing up and alert you when it’s time to lose the chair.
Consider doing this while at home too. You can try standing while browsing on your laptop or binge watching Netflix on theTV.
3. Take The Stairs
Have you ever been out of breath after climbing a set of stairs? We’ve all been there. This experience proves just how effective taking the stairs can be for your daily cardio by getting your limbs moving and heart pumping.
4. Clean Up Your House
This trick has two benefits in one. Since cleaning up requires you to walk around and flex your arms, you’ll be making your home tidier while burning some calories. Pick one or more parts of your house each day to get your elbows a little dirty. It’s a productive workout that will have you thanking yourself for later on for the exercise and the tidiness.
5. Get A Dog
This one requires a serious commitment, but hear us out. Dogs must get at least 20-30 minutes of walking per day. Of course they can’t do that on their own, so you’ll have to go with them. Being their caretaker holds you accountable and it’s a sure way to keep your pup’s health in check while taking care of yours at the same time.
Try Scheduling More Intensive Workouts
With enough small adjustments, you’ll start to notice your cardiovascular health improving . Little things will start becoming less of a hassle. Soon enough, taking the stairs won’t be much of a challenge anymore, and you’ll be looking for other ways to push yourself.
If you’re looking to make cardio training more intensive, there are lots of easy workouts you can try. An ideal way to pursue cardio is to find a sport or activity that you genuinely enjoy. It could be a team sport, dance class, boxing workout — basically anything that will keep you moving and break a sweat. If it doesn’t feel like a workout because of the fun you’re having, that’s even better.
A type of cardio that is short on time and really packs a punch is a HIIT workout, which stands for high-intensity interval training. The point is to do short circuits of the same workouts at least three times with short breaks in between.
By combining low-impact actions into your everyday routine along with regular workout sessions, you’ll start to notice significant changes in your endurance over time. Keep searching for different ways you can start implementing cardio every day for optimal health benefits.