What is Cardio exercise and how does it work?

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With Cardio exercise, you don't have to spend hours every day at the gym to maintain your heart health and lose weight. Cardio can help you do an effective cardio workout at home, even if you don't have a lot of space or equipment to work out.

1. What is cardio?

Cardio is understood as exercise such as jogging, jumping... that increases the heart rate of the practitioner and is one of the effective methods for weight loss or athletes who want to burn excess fat. in the body.
Cardio exercises do not focus on a certain muscle group, but require the coordination of many different muscle groups, or the whole body. Cardio exercises are also very diverse, from outdoor exercises such as jogging, swimming, playing intense sports such as football, basketball, volleyball to home exercises such as using the treadmill, Climb stairs or use full-body exercise machines.

2. What are the effects of Cardio exercises?

Fat burning exercises are the key to a solid and healthy exercise routine. After all, nothing motivates people to exercise more than the desire to lose a few pounds. If you're just starting out or hitting the gym, you're probably looking for exercises that will burn calories as quickly as possible. What exercises burn the most fat in the shortest amount of time? What can you do in (and out) the gym to start cutting calories today? Cardio exercise is the perfect answer to these questions.
Before making any recommendations, it is important to discuss cardio and weight training. Which is better for slimming? This question has been debated by experts for many years. Fitness trainers will claim that weight training burns more calories. While aerobics people will say that Cardio is the best fat burning exercise. However, in reality, both are necessary for weight loss. Cardio will increase blood flow and help you lose those extra calories. Weight training, on the other hand, turns those fat cells into healthy muscle mass. In general, people who focus on strength training do so to gain muscle, so they actually end up heavier when they lift weights in the long run.
Endurance exercises can promote weight loss. In short, you can lose weight simply by doing cardio exercise. However, some strength training exercises are also very helpful. It may take more time, but the fastest fat-burning workout routine would include cardio and weight training.

3. 10 Best Cardio Exercises for Weight Loss

Here are the top 10 types of Cardio exercises that have been approved by experts to help practitioners lose weight faster and get results sooner:
3.1. Elliptical machines These machines were originally designed to minimize the impact on the knees and hips, but still allow the practitioner to get an effective workout. Dr. Roger Adams, a nutritionist and weight loss expert, explains: “Because of the relatively low impact, the calorie-burning effect is not as great as other cardio machines, like treadmills and ellipticals. "However, ellipticals can be a great way to burn calories without straining your joints." While the 180-lb. Men can only burn close to 500-600 calories per hour if walking at a moderate pace, you can get even more out of it by increasing the intensity, speed and resistance of the machine.
Best way to burn fat while doing ellipticals: Increase the incline to really activate more leg muscles, especially the glutes. “This movement can simulate climbing stairs without wearing out your joints,” says Adams. “Reducing incline and increasing drag makes you feel like you're skiing making the workout really effective.” As with the treadmill, do not hold the handles or handrails too tightly as this can reduce the effort of the exerciser and lead to shoulder or wrist pain.
3.2. Running (moderate pace) Running at a steady, moderate pace is a surefire way to burn fat and calories, but it's not the most cost-effective way to build or even maintain. muscle. “A man can burn about 940 calories in an hour running at 12km/hr,” says Dr. Ryan. “This would be an effective weight loss method that should be done every few weeks to maintain your aerobic fitness, but it requires a lot of mileage, time and effort.” Cons: Running at this speed can also disrupt the structure of the muscles and cause your body to suffer many negative effects. “If you want this exercise long-term, choose trails or surfaces that are softer than cement,” he says.
Best way to burn fat in the long run: If you're running on a treadmill, set the incline to 2 - 3% to simulate running outside, Adams suggests. "This burns more calories and can actually be easier on the knees." If running feels boring for you, try different routes in your neighborhood or join a local running club. Running with a partner or a group can greatly increase the excitement of running.
3.3. Climbing stairs Stair climbing is another popular method to burn fat and calories, but the calories burned won't be too great. "Because of the higher leg lift involved, stair climbing uses significantly more muscles than just walking, thus effectively strengthening your legs," says Adams. . Main drawback: Stair climbers can put a lot of weight and pressure on the joints, which in turn can be difficult for people with knee problems.
3.4. There's a reason jumping rope is the mainstay of a boxer's training regimen: It's cheap, easy to do, speeds up your legs, and burns tons of calories. Think of your favorite boxers, wrestlers, and boxers who all practice jumping rope every day. “Jumping rope not only improves your leg mobility, shoulder strength and coordination, but also simulates sprinting,” says Ben Boudro, CSCS, owner of Xcelerator Fitness in Auburn Hills, MI. allows you to burn up to 500 calories in just 30 minutes.
Best way to burn fat with jumping rope: Although very few people can jump rope continuously for 30 minutes, it is best to do alternating fast and slow jumps to keep you going. Jump as fast as you can for one minute, then rest for 20-30 seconds. Repeat until you're done. If you're a frequent traveler, pack a jump rope for a great workout without leaving your hotel room.
3.5. Weight training Although technically, dumbbell exercise is not a cardio-only exercise, but its calorie-burning effect is so high that scientists cannot exclude it from this group of exercises. "Weightlifting exercises are the best combination of both: weight training and cardio," says Adams. "Also, a recent study on the calorie-burning effects of this type of exercise found that it can burn about 20 calories per minute." This number takes into account not only aerobic calories consumed, but also anaerobic calories burned. Very few cardio exercises are capable of helping a practitioner build muscle, but this is one of the exceptions. Adams says weightlifters can burn about 400-600 calories in just 30 minutes.
Best way to do dumbbell exercises: If you can do a particular movement for 40 - 50 seconds in a row, chances are your weights aren't heavy enough. “Don't train with too light weights, but also don't train with too heavy weights,” says Adams. “One of the best ways to train with dumbbells to maximize calorie burn is to do one movement for 30-40 seconds, rest for 20-30 seconds, then repeat or switch movements. other works.”

3.6. The stationary bike is a staple at most gyms, but there's a reason most people don't want to use them: “You have to be mentally prepared to ride with high speed,” said Adams.
How to increase fat burning performance with cycling exercise: Doing the same interval on a stationary bike is a great way to maximize calories burned in minimal time . “Keep the pace high for several minute intervals, and then gradually slow down for a minute or so, repeatedly repeating these intervals for as long as you can afford,” suggests Adams.
3.7. Swimming Swimming is a very popular full-body exercise. "You're basically trying to fight gravity, so your muscles have to work harder to keep you afloat," says Dr. Boudro. "In fact, with just one minute of brisk swimming you can burn up to 14 calories."
Remember that swimming style can also make a difference, says Adams. “The stride burns fewer calories than the butterfly stroke, so remember to incorporate different movements in your training.”
The best way to burn fat while swimming: An easy way to burn calories in water is to simply pedal the water. You can do a few laps, then stop for a water kick, repeating the cycle over and over. “If you can swim at a high level, then swim as fast as possible and for as long as possible,” says Adams. “If you're not such a strong swimmer, then do interval swimming steps: Swim as fast as you can down the length of the pool and back, then swim slower for the same distance. “Alternate these intervals throughout your workout.
3.8. Rowing Take a look at the body of any professional or amateur rower and you'll surely envy their sporty v-cut frames. Ryan explains: “Riding rowing is on this list because it's a great method, with the coordination of the upper and lower body in the most sensible way that puts less stress on your joints and ligaments . Following a moderate pace on a rowing machine can burn up to 800 calories per hour for a guy weighing about 80kg, but increasing the intensity of the exercise with sprint races will help that number add up quickly. and reach more than 1,000 calories per hour.
Best way to burn calories with rowing: “Put your chest up and use your whole body when rowing,” says Boudro. "But don't let your arms do all the work, try using your legs for movement." The recommended rowing exercise is: Set the clock for 20 minutes, row as fast as you can 250 meters, rest for one minute, then repeat for the entire 20 minutes.
3.9. HIIT High Intensity Interval Training HIIT High Intensity Interval Training gives you a full workout while burning more fat and calories. “HIIT workouts can vary greatly, from 500 calories per hour to 1500 calories per hour for a man weighing about 80 kg,” says Ryan. “HIIT exercises are useful because of the intensity of each exercise as well as the variability of the exercises and the number of repetitions.” Combine any bodyweight movement with a weighted movement and traditional cardiovascular elements, and you'll have the perfect recipe for amazing weight loss.
Best way to do it: Find Tabata, HIIT, high-impact aerobics, and vigorous interval classes using weights at your local gym.
3.10. Sprinting Sprinting whether running outdoors or on a treadmill, or even up stairs or in the stands is a great way to burn the most calories in the shortest amount of time. No equipment is really needed and you can do these exercises anywhere. “Sprinting is easy and it burns a ton of calories,” says Adams. "While running burns a lot of calories, increasing your speed and intensity is actually much more effective." In particular, sprinting is a form of exercise that brings less pressure and reduces the risk of injury to the practitioner's joints.
Burning a large amount of fat in a short period of time is really not easy. That requires some time, discipline, and seriousness in the process. However, with just a little concentration, you can completely cut off excess fat quickly with Cardio exercises. Whether you are an air lover at the gym or simply exercise through daily exercise, Cardio exercises can completely meet your fat burning needs. different redundancies that the practitioner chooses.

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Reference sources: themeccagym.com, mensjournal.com, lifestyle.cfyc.com.vn