When you see highly active people doing high intensity cardiovascular workout such as spinning, running or even cardio specific machines at the gym, the thought that you would like one day be at that level is more than just a pipe dream. Reaching your peak cardio intensity level can be attained with some changes to your mindset about how to achieve this level.
The notion that doing intense cardio is the only way you will burn fat and lose weight is a very antiquated notion. Understanding of physical fitness, nutrition and how our bodies work have come a long way from even what was known even 20 years ago. While that concept is based on truth, cardiovascular exercise does indeed burn fat, there are many other factors which can optimize that burn and allow you to truly take your fitness to the next level and increase your full body fat burning capabilities.
Mix It Up
One of the most popular types of exercising in more recent times has been HIIT workouts. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training takes rapid cardio mixed with targeted muscle resistance training to allow for a balanced mix of high impact and lower impact exercises which maximizes the efficiency of workouts. Many only require 20-30 minutes of this form of physical activity to be effective. The theory is that by doing spurts of intense high heart rate, resting and then moving on to another high impact movement will double the caloric burn, and give you a complete full body workout. Many fitness studios and classes have embraced this new form, but you can also easily find ways of doing this in the comfort of your own home.
Work at Muscle Building
Muscle building and cardio go hand in hand, even though it may not seem that way. Not that you need to reach body builder status, but building muscle through resistance training improves your overall calorie burning ability because muscle burns more calories throughout the day. Even when you aren’t working out, those muscles are working and burning calories. With age comes wisdom, but also a slower metabolism. Which makes toning and increasing muscle mass so key in helping to lower body fat. Even without access to a gym, there are many resistance training exercises which can be done at home that tone and help build those all important muscles.
Keep It Up
Slow and steady wins the race as the saying goes. Increasing your body’s fitness abilities will take time but if you are consistent, and continue to work on making small improvements, it will happen. Of course that’s not to say things don’t happen which can hinder this goal such as injury or just life circumstances, but keeping your body moving the best way you can even with modifications will in the end help you maintain what improvements have been made. Consistency is key when trying to improve your overall fat burning, so have faith that you will be in much better health just by keeping your body moving, than not.
While exercising is indeed a large part of improving your overall cardiovascular health, so is maintaining a healthy diet. What you fuel your body is extremely important especially when increasing your physical activities. Ensure that you are getting the proper amounts of healthy fats, proteins and of course fruits and vegetables. This component is likely even more important than how you exercise, as you can do as much hard burning workouts as you can but if you’re refueling with pizza, french fries and sodas, then it was all for not. Create a mindful and balanced plan for yourself which includes a great diet and exercise routine that you can easily follow to take your body to the next level.
