Cardio Can be Fun When You Make It Your Own

Most people find cardio to be daunting, miserable, or even a waste of time. Cardio is necessary for healthy living It’s a fact of life. However, cardio doesn’t have to be dreadful, in fact, cardio can be fun. Cardio doesn’t have to be extremely time consuming. It only takes 10 minutes or more of heart rate elevating activity. Here are the ways cardio can be fun.
Partners:
Having a partner to compete against will help you push yourself harder, making cardio exciting. Other partner activities include races, extreme outdoor activities (frisbee), running and training for marathons or triathlons.
Group activities
The more the merrier! Group activities such as dodgeball, volleyball, golf, basketball, soccer, baseball, football, and all other team sports are not only going to give a good cardio workout, but it will give a boost of confidence. Being part of a group workout is considered to be therapeutic, releasing endorphins that give you overall-happiness.
Make time:
If you feel pressed for time and just can’t imagine how you will get your workouts in, remember cardio is only 10 minutes or more of activity that will raise your heart rate. Break up your hour workout into 10-20 minute intervals. For cardio you can choose to clean quickly for one of your intervals, then pull up a short YouTube workout video for the next, just to change things up. Maybe if you are doing strength training, break up your sets and sprint between lifting. Going outside and walking for 10 minutes gives you cardio as well as ups your HGH production, and gives you the ever so uplifting vitamin D.
Go old school:
Remember jump rope? It is one of the most bang for your buck in the cardio world. For something with a little less intensity try skipping to your next destination.
Make it a game:
If your workout routine needs some excitement, try signing up for classes such as self-defense, hot yoga, dance classes such as Zumba, Indian folk dances, or your good old hip hop. If you want to get real crazy they offer pole dancing in some areas. Fun cardio can include video games that are interactive like WII fitness or DDR on the XBOX.
Do something new:
Maybe you enjoy the type of cardio you do, but just need a little something extra. That’s the perfect time to learn a new language, put an audio book on your MP3 player, or just change up the routine a little. Don’t forget to make the most of summer and winter. During the summer time don’t miss your chance to go to the beach or swim laps in the pool. Winter sports are some of the most beneficial to both your cardio and strength training.
Cardio is one of the necessary evils, but with a little creativity it doesn’t have to be. Engaging in regular cardio is important for fitness, yes, but it’s also important for mental health. Exercise is a very productive outlet, and when enjoyed with others, a good way to socialize. If you so choose to learn something new, such as a language during your workout, and better yourself over all, all the better. People who use flash cards, audio books, and audio textbooks while they exercised were more likely to retain the information than people who did those things while driving or sitting. Don’t just exercise to look great, exercise to feel great, exercise to be great!