It is very well known that cardio can do a world of good for you. It can strengthen your heart and muscles, burn calories, help control your appetite, boost your mood through the release of endorphins, help you sleep better at night, and reduce arthritis pain and stiffness through joint movement. During a worldwide pandemic, it can even strengthen your immune system – if you don’t do too much.
Many individuals divulge in cardio to regulate their weight. It can even reduce chronic pain! There are many different types of cardio such as dancing, running, swimming, walking, and biking.
The question is how much cardio is too much cardio? There are some people who do cardio every single day and there are others who wouldn’t do it if their life depended on it!
There are varying intensity levels of cardio such as low, moderate, and high intensity cardio. An example of low-intensity cardio is walking while higher intensity cardio is sprinting.
Vigorous cardio shouldn’t be done more than 3 days per week for 20 minutes. Moderately-intense cardio can be done 30 minutes per day for 5 days a week. You can also do a mixture if you wished to.
Excessive amounts of cardio can cause your body to react poorly. Cortisol, the stress hormone, is released when the body experiences high amounts of stress. When you perform high intensity exercise or endurance exercise, your body’s cortisol levels can increase. Be careful, it can decrease your immune system for a short time.
Some good ways to reduce stress include journaling, spending time with friends and family, laughing, lighting a candle, supplements, and reducing your caffeine intake.
To conclude, cardio is good but not too much cardio. With anything, moderation is key. Don’t over do it or it can backfire on you.
