If hearing the word “cardio” makes you roll your eyes and think of mind-numbing minutes on the treadmill or never-ending HIIT burpees, it’s time to reframe what cardio means.
Cardio can be any activity where you sustain an elevated heart rate. Anything like hiking or biking in the mountains for nature time, dancing in your living room for fun, or even kickboxing to let out all your frustrations.
It also isn’t all about burning calories to lose weight (although that’s a nice bonus). It’s actually a great way to seriously boost your energy and feel great. As in, immediately after working out but also long-term (both as the day goes on and even more daily stability with regular workouts).
Besides being able to climb a flight of stairs without wheezing, you can avoid countless hospital visits as you age. Cardio is fantastic for your heart! And in the near term, you might just get through your workday without your usual four cups of coffee. Plus, cardio impacts your mental health in tons of great ways, from sharper focus at work to keeping your cool when your boss acts up again.
Read on to learn exactly what cardio does for your body. Plus, we’ll share tips on how to make it sustainable, easy, and dare we say, fun.
While strength training is important for longevity and health span, cardio is an essential part of the mix that can’t be forgotten. Here’s how cardio impacts your mental and physical health:
You know how it feels to drag through your afternoon with your eyes half shut and your brain so foggy you can’t see straight? It’s almost like being a sloth on Nyquil.
If you do some cardio though, you can get a supercharge that keeps you going till nighttime (without that Monster energy drink or fifth iced coffee). Regular cardio boosts your blood circulation, helping your entire body get more oxygen and nutrients in its cells. The more oxygen and nutrients your cells get, the more stamina you have.
It also works long-term, increasing the number of mitochondria (also known as the “powerhouse” organelle) in your muscle cells. They’re kind of like the Energizer Bunny that keeps you going all day long, increasing your endurance for everyday tasks and activities. That even covers you for getting home late and still having the energy to chase your kids up the stairs or crush your spin class.
Thankfully, the “runner’s high” isn’t just for runners. Cardio sends off a host of hormones and neurotransmitters that make you feel great — both in the moment and long-term. You’re getting a wonderful blend of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, to name a few. They work together to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Dopamine in particular is tied to reward and motivation. That means the more you feel good with your workout, the more you’ll want to do it.
It gets even more interesting when you look at your body’s endocannabinoid system (eCB). One player is anandamide, which acts similarly to cannabis (but without the side effects). It works to regulate emotions and calm your amygdala, the part of your brain that easily gets overactive and makes you feel stressed and anxious.
Cardio also triggers your stress-response system, but in a healthy way. Cortisol (the stress hormone) is released during exercise, and when this happens regularly your body gets better at managing cortisol overall. It helps you learn how to calm down more efficiently, making you more resilient.
Brain gains: Sharper thinking, better focus
Finally, even your ability to focus, learn, and remember things improves. Regular cardio can increase blood flow to your prefrontal cortex (the part responsible for higher thinking). Impressively, it can even increase the size of your hippocampus, the part of your brain in charge of learning and memory. Problem-solving also gets easier — like finally figuring out what you need to do to make that work presentation epic while you’re dripping sweat in spinning class.
Cardio is a great way to get the feel-good runner’s high while burning calories. For example, 45 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling can use up to 500 calories. The calorie burn doesn't even stop there, though. High-intensity workouts can help keep your metabolism revved for hours. Aerobic exercise seems to be one of the best types for reducing fat and body mass.
Of course, you can’t forget strength training. It helps you build lean muscle mass, which also boosts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories at rest. Overall, routines that include both high-intensity cardio and resistance training are most likely to improve lean body mass, belly fat, and heart health. Intensity really matters, and it’s why walking alone isn't enough to prevent heart disease (and here’s what you need to do instead).
Finally, what you’re eating has a massive impact. Combining your workouts with balanced nutrition will make the biggest difference of all. However, that’s not to say you have to start eating well and working out intensely today. There are specific strategies to get you healthier long-term.
It might feel overwhelming to imagine getting consistent with working out, but taking the big picture and breaking it down helps. Here’s how to find a cardio routine you love that lasts:
Initiating a change isn’t easy, which is why having a strong enough reason for putting in some effort is key. Think about what you want to work out for. Science suggests that external motivation isn’t very maintainable (like wanting to look good in a bathing suit). Instead, intrinsic reasons will help you through the tough times, like working out because you love the “runner’s high”.
Physically, starting slow makes sense. It gives your body time to adapt and reduces the risk of injury. Psychologically, it helps you build confidence and gives you time to tweak out the kinks in your plan so you can create habits that last. For example, it gives you time to learn what your obstacles are. It’s just like training for a marathon, you aren’t going to start by running 26.2 miles.
Research shows that when it comes to fitness, the more specific the goal, the more positive the outcome. The sweet spot is making it challenging and exciting, but not so hard that it’s doomed to fail, killing your self-esteem in the process. For example, a study on goal setting and walking found that setting a higher step goal led to more physical activity (but not necessarily completing the goal). Some specific and realistic examples could be:
Beginners:
Long-term exercisers:
Not every type of exercise is for everyone. Luckily, there are thousands of workout classes to choose from both online and in-person. Everything from SoulCycle to adult ballet to Bootcamps or Barre classes. Give different things a chance, you never know what will pique your interest. If nothing fits, consider hiring a personal trainer who can tailor-make a plan you’ll love (and give you the emotional support it takes to follow through).
If you’re not sure where to start or need guidance, a personal trainer can help you find what truly excites you.
Even if you find a workout routine you love, that doesn’t mean you’ll love it forever. Mixing up cardio with intervals and HIIT shows success, suggesting that switching up your goals and workout styles can help with motivation and prevent plateaus. Plus, learning heart-healthy exercise habits that keep things interesting keeps you engaged, flexible, and strong long-term.
Getting specific with your goals also requires you to get specific with when you’ll work on them. Becoming consistent takes a bit of effort to start, especially with scheduling and prep (like making sure you have snacks and the energy to work out). Plus, making sure your schedule is realistic (hence the starting slow so you have time to tweak your routine).
No plan goes perfectly. There will always be obstacles in your way, and learning how to overcome them is a normal part of life. The real problem comes when we have an “all or nothing” attitude, where one setback makes us stop trying altogether. No goal comes to fruition without stumbling first. The real failure is not reassessing your goals, changing them, and trying another way.
If the thought of doing more cardio makes you want to curl up on the couch and throw on some Netflix, it might be time to think about getting professional support.
Trainwell’s trainers actually get to know you so they can create plans that work specifically for you. They learn what you love (and what you hate) to tailor a workout you truly enjoy.
They’re not your typical action-movie bodybuilder who shouts reps and barks orders at you. You get more of a movement expert, workout buddy, and emotional support team rolled into one. Their goal is flexibility, personalization, and making you fall in love with movement. Whether that’s encouraging you to try a new form of dancing on the side or chasing squirrels on solo hikes, whatever works.
Give it a try for yourself with a 14-day free trial, and let us know if you end up looking forward to cardio more than your favorite Netflix binge by the time the trial is done. (Don’t worry, we won't tell anyone if you still do both at the same time.)
Written by Jennifer Olejarz.
