Healthy Habits: Cardio Training
In this article, we cover the basics of Cardio Training, and why it matters. We look into the latest research on the health benefits of Cardio Training on brain health, wellness, and longevity. Finally, we offer ideas for gym cardio workouts, home cardio workouts, and outside cardio workouts incl. Zone 2 Training and Long Slow Distance.
Cardio training, also known as aerobic training, is a form of exercise that gets your heart pumping and sweat flowing. It includes a long list of activities that increase your breathing and heart rate, such as brisk walking, swimming, running, or cycling. Aerobic exercise helps keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy. Additionally, it can help you de-stress and relax.
Regular cardio training allows your body to use its aerobic metabolism system to produce energy from fat and glycogen. It also develops the “slow-twitch” muscle fibers in your body, which take a longer time to fatigue and primarily utilize fat as a fuel. Despite being slightly more time-consuming compared to popular high-intensity workouts, regular cardio workouts provide the body a great way to oxidize and utilize fat efficiently during exercise, without breaking down the body in the same way as hard high-intensity sessions do.
NOTE: The following type Workouts in your Apple Health app counts towards your Cardio Habit in the Healthzilla app: elliptical, mixed cardio, stair climbing, jump rope, step training, wheelchair (run pace), mixed cardio, hand cycling, dance, running, water fitness, swimming, cross-country skiing, walking, hiking, hunting, rowing, and cycling.
Research on the health benefits of Cardio
Regular cardio workouts provide a wealth of health benefits.
Cardio benefits for Brain Health
Cardio training has a positive effect on your lung and heart health [1]
Cardio workouts may have a beneficial impact on your mind, such as lift your mood [5]
Cardio training can potentially reduce the symptoms of depression [10]
Cardio benefits for Health & Wellness
Cardio benefits for Longevity
Study [3] suggests a link between regular aerobic exercise and a lower risk of dementia
Cardio exercise may help reverse some heart damage from normal aging [4]
Cardio may reduce your risk of diabetes [9]
Cardio appears to guard against some age-related decline like reduced brain connectivity [11]
Cardio training may protect your immune system from age-related decline [12]
Methods and programs for Cardio Exercise
Some suggestions and ideas for cardio workouts.
Zone 2 Cardio:
Despite the fancy name, this is just basic, boring cardio. While sexier modalities like HIIT have taken over in recent years, research is now showing that we’ve forgotten a key piece of the toolkit. Dusty cardio programs are now being rebranded as Cardiac Output or Long Slow Distance. They all roughly target the same adaptation: keeping your cardiovascular system in an oxygen burning state for an extended period of time.
Read more: Benefits of Zone 2
Benefits of Zone 2 Cardio
Increased mitochondrial density and function (source)
Increased fat burning efficiency (source)
Increased lactate clearance (source)
Program for Zone 2 Cardio (60 mins)
How do you know you’re in Zone 2? Some wearables will do that for you, but a good rule of thumb is being able to hold a conversation, approx. 130-140 bpm.
Sets: 60 minutes @ Zone 2 Heart Rate
Outside: Running in the best scenery you can find!
Home: Assuming you can’t run even in a yard, you can do light bodyweight exercises like knee raises, jumping jacks, and air squats. Just keep rotating exercises to keep it fun!
Gym Cardio Workouts:
Zone2 Training (run or bike)
Long Slow Distance (run or bike)
Boxing
Rowing
Cycling
Elliptical machine
Stair master
Home Cardio Workouts:
Skipping rope
Dancing
Outside Cardio Workouts:
Zone2 Training (run or bike)
Long Slow Distance (run or bike)
Running
Jogging
Brisk walking
Swimming
Cycling
Cross country skiing
Hiking
Tips for your Cardio Workout
Minimum 10 minutes: Depending on your starting level, either moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity exercise for more than 10 minutes is required to switch on your aerobic metabolism. In practice, this intensity means that you are breathing harder than normal to take in the oxygen needed for aerobic metabolism, but you are not completely out of breath.
Target Heart Rate: If you’re using a heart rate monitor, you should aim to exercise in the zone ranging from 40% to 85% of your maximum heart rate.
Continuous movement: You must use your major muscle groups continuously, especially your legs, to bring your heart rate up into the zone that allows your body to utilize fat efficiently during exercise.
Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com