Exercise and Diet

Absolutely! One of the wonders of cardio is that you don’t have to go to a fully equipped gym for your general or HIIT workouts. In some cases, you may only use your body weight to get a nice session.

A popular cardio exercise you can do with your body weight, for example, is the Skater or Ice Skater. Here, you would start with your feet hip-width apart. Then, you would lift your right leg and jump to your right side as you lift your left arm.

The goal here is to land with the contrary stance, which in this case would be your left leg/left foot and right arm. If you’re confused about the right/left-hand placements, feel free to find a video online.

Coming back to the main question: There are dozens of exercises you can do with your own weight, so you may create a nice cardio routine for home. As you get better, stronger, and faster, you may want to add a bit more weight to include strength training.

While cardio is excellent for weight loss, that doesn’t mean that you should have it as your only option. To achieve proper fat loss and burn more calories with each workout, you should pair your cardio with strength training.

Remember, you don’t have to do excessive strength training. As with cardio, there are many bodyweight movements that promote weight loss and don’t pose such a challenge to beginners.

Your upper and lower body are enough equipment for most cardio workouts. However, if you want to do some cardio in the gym, there are some machines you could seek. Those include:

• Vertical Climbers
• Treadmills
• Air Bikes
• Stair Climbers
• Rowing Machines

Some people even get these machines for their homes, although they could be a bit expensive. If you’re going to work out in a gym, feel free to ask a trainer about the different cardio machines available.

Yes! Exercise bikes are efficient and effective cardio workout machines you can use to burn calories and fat. They also do an excellent job of strengthening your muscles, heart, and lungs.

One of the benefits of exercise bikes is that they put less strain on your joints, so if you’re having any issues with your knees and want to take it slow, an exercise bike can be an excellent option to consider.

It may not seem like it, but walking is considered the best form of cardio by many experts. Even though walking is a low- to medium-intensity workout, you can make it a bit harder by walking at a higher speed and intensity; that way, you will increase the load on your muscles, lungs, and heart.

Keep in mind that, if you want to see considerable results surrounding weight loss, you must either choose an intense walking routine or complement your walking with another exercise.

Walking is recommended for those people who don’t have much time in the day to complete their workouts or who have problems with their joints or backs. If you had an injury recently, then walking will also be a great option to consider.

Yes. Cardio is a great way to burn excess calories and promote weight loss. However, remember that if you want to see better results, you must complement your cardio with resistance/strength training.

Cardio, by itself, won’t give you the best results you can get, and you can even expose yourself to some health risks if all you do over the week is intense cardio workouts.

Cardio is step one of every weight loss journey. If you want to see proper results, you must also implement a balanced diet in your life. The best diet for cardio will depend on your particular needs and goals. Thankfully, there are hundreds of cardio diet recipes you can try out today.

Overall, the best diet for cardio weight loss will require you to consume healthy fats, such as coconut oil, grass-fed butter, or avocado. You must also focus on whole foods and protein if you want the best results possible. Foods like Greek yogurt and grilled chicken are some favorites among cardio trainees.

The right diet will allow you to regulate your blood sugar, build endurance, and keep toned and healthy muscles. Those with cardiovascular or metabolic diseases can choose to try out a cardio metabolic diet, which focuses on Mediterranean nutrition foods, targeted calories, a stricter eating time, high-fiber, low-sugar diets, quality fats, and more.

While cardio is a rather safe workout alternative, there are some scenarios where you may want to stop to prevent yourself from getting injuries.

If you always feel fatigued or your heart rate remains fast during the day, for example, you may want to ease on your cardio routines. 

You should also consider taking a break if you always feel sore or stop seeing results in your weight loss journey.

In the end, it’s about listening to your body and knowing where to stop and take a break. 

Those details will allow you to have a much easier and safer workout experience.