Are you stuck in a cardio trap and doing too much cardio? Are you a cardio junkie thinking that cardio is the only way to lose unwanted fat and get into the best shape of your life? If you are stuck in the “cardio trap” don’t worry, you are not alone! The truth is, no one needs to be stuck in the cardio trap. No one needs to constantly do cardio to avoid weight gain. The first thing to understand and realize is that body fat levels were changed or maintained through a balance in quality food in the right quantities.
With full-time jobs, who has the time to spend 1-3 hours a day doing unwanted cardio? This is absolutely unrealistic and unmaintainable for life! Our goal is to find that balance that is realistic and maintainable for life so we can continue our efforts throughout our journey. It is all about finding the proper balance between the cardio, weight training and nutritional intake. As long as the balance is found and maintained, you can get out of the cardio trap and set yourself free! Once you find that balance and no longer feel the need to do loads of cardio to reach your goals, you will find that cardio becomes a want to and not a have to.
Did you know that there is such thing as too much cardio. Your body can get to a point where it stops responding because it simply is over worked. Your body can also be in a depleted state and when your body is lacking the proper nutrients it needs, what happens… it starts to slow down and hold on to fat. Too much cardio can actually be holding you back and halting your results! On another note, maybe the amount of cardio you are doing is causing you to gain weight because of your food intake. Either you are starving all the time and aren’t making the healthiest choices OR you rewards yourself because of all your hard work and over indulge, whether it be good or bad over indulgences, over indulging is over indulging. How many times have you heard someone who just went on a long run say, “Now I can go and have ______ or _______?” This is a common mistake, exchanging cardio for treats! If you find that balance of realistic cardio to proper nutrient intake, you will find yourself freeing yourself of the trap and reaching your goals. The first step is to acknowledge that you are stuck in the trap and then take some time to figure out who you are going to get yourself out.
Cardiovascular activity should stem from the desire to improve your cardio, physical skill, energy levels, gain mental awareness, feel the amazing adrenaline rush and clear your mind rather that simply burning off calories. It is easy to fall into the trap of cardio cardio cardio because that is what you hear is the ticket to weight loss. Yes, cardio is a key component to reaching your goals and shedding unwanted body fat but it isn’t the ONLY key to reaching your goals.
It depends on what your goals are and what you are striving for but typically 4-5 times a week of 30-45 minutes of cardio should be your ticket to success. The key is really change and keeping things fun. Changing from high intensity to lower intensity cardio sessions and remembering to change from one machine to another. It is also important to do things you enjoy! Who says you have to only do treadmill cardio or cardio on the stepper? Cardio is Cardio! You can obtain a increase in heart rate from running outside, using a elliptical or jumping rope. Don’t be subject to a certain machine or to a certain amount of time, rather be sure to move and stay active and do free yourself of the cardio trap!