Why Cardio Is Essential for Your Heart and Fitness Goals

Now that we’ve given you the basics on the benefits of Cardio exercise, the three different types of exercise you should engage in, and the recommended amount of exercise you should do a week, why don’t we get a little more into what Cardiorespiratory exercise means! If you are unsure about what I mean, do not worry! Just take a quick peek at the video from week 2 to get a brief reminder! Don’t forget that we have an awesome challenge for the week, so keep watching so you don’t miss out on those reward points!

So let’s get right into what CARDIORESPIRATORY exercise is.

Benefits of Cardio

The word tells you what it does: It gets your heart pumping faster and makes you breathe faster. It is considered an AEROBIC exercise. You will break a sweat!

Those jumping jacks are right for you! Sweat is good! If you look like you just stepped out of the shower, my friend, it means you did a job well done!

Cardio is broken up into two types of exercises:

The MODERATE intensity and VIGOROUS intensity. Moderate intensity includes things like

Cardio has two types of exercises:
– The MODERATE intensity and VIGOROUS intensity

Benefits of Cardio

Activities such as dancing, hiking, riding a bike, and walking fast are considered moderate-intensity exercises. Vigorous-intensity includes things like Jumping rope, Running, Swimming, Basketball.

Burpee, I know those dreaded burpees! And if you’ve never heard of these before, it’s okay! We’ll show you what they look like and how to do them. and in time, you’ll see why they are “dreaded.” ✓

But it feels so good when you’re done. And they work so well to get your heart pumping like crazy! It’s why I mention them here among the benefits of cardio. ✓

Quick thing: Any of the above exercises can be either moderate or vigorous depending on HOW you do them. ✓

Take dancing; depending on the kind of music, dancing can be moderate, like a slow romantic song like boleros, or it can be very vigorous too.

Merengue, Salsa, and even vallenatos can be so quick-paced, they will make you break a sweat. Even after just one song, you might end up begging for a CHAIR and a GLASS OF WATER. Not to mention your LEGS CAN GET SHAKY from all that Benefits of Cardio. Been there, done that. CHECK!

Then there are those non-typical exercises that you don’t even consider exercise because they are daily activities. These activities include mopping, sweeping, washing dishes, and gardening. Have you ever started sweating while you clean your room or clean your house? Oh, and don’t even get me started on the stairs. If you use stairs instead of an elevator, Up and down the stairs sounds like cardio to me! And it feels like cardio too! You just give that a try and let your family know how you feel! You could even add some music and dance while mopping, which would give you a complete cardio workout!

If you’re cleaning your room, do the same! Adding your favorite tunes encourages exercise. Have you ever walked through a gym? Maybe you’ve seen a spinning class happening even on TV shows. The music is so loud! Everyone is sweating; the leader is screaming! It’s almost like a club! But the only thing people are drinking is water!

So…how is it that any exercise can be both moderate and vigorous? How do you know which is which? Easy!?

• If you can gossip with a pal and talk about the latest telenovela or girl or boy problems, then it’s MODERATE… if you can sing… Well, then you’re on your way to joining the turtle club… so pick up the pace!
• If you can’t gossip because you’re gasping for air and can’t even hear yourself think, it’s VIGOROUS.

MUST KNOW In cardio, breathing fast is okay, especially during high-intensity exercise. BUT if you ever feel PAIN in your CHEST or your JAW… stop. Listen to your body! It is smart! If you get dizzy, stop. Rest. Sit Down.

Be safe. Exercise is all about being SAFE, having FUN, and being ACTIVE.

BUT let’s get back to food. Because I love food, don’t you? Have you ever had one of those days where it feels like your stomach is what we would say in Spanish, “un barril sin fondo”? You eat and eat, and still, you don’t feel full! Ugh!!! It’s so frustrating. I know! And you end up eating very unhealthy things, and then you regret it, and you feel gross, and the next day your pants don’t fit. I know the feeling!

Well, how about the obvious! You’re hungry!!!! DUH! Who would have thought that you feel hungry because you actually are? It is clearly normal to feel hunger, so if you are hungry, feel free to reach out for some wonderful healthy snacks. Emphasis on HEALTHY, hello!

Okay, but what if you’ve already had an enormous meal and a few snacks, and you just ate a few minutes ago, and you feel the urge to eat everything? Here are a few other reasons why you might feel this way, and trust me. I have been through them all, so you are NOT alone.

1: Boredom: Have you Ever been sitting around with nothing to do, and so you instinctively walk over to the fridge to see what might “entertain” you?

So what do you do?

• Find another distraction! Exercise is pretty distracting, so I would say to do that, ha! But if that’s not what you have in mind, call a friend and meet up with them. See what happens to that natural urge to reach for food when you’re feeling a bit bored.

2: You’re eating less filling food: Foods like refined rice or bread, even cereals, can fill you for a bit… until the energy you get from them disappears, and you understand that sudden need to feed again! Ay! “But I just ate!”

Then what do you do?

• Replace those cereals with things like oatmeal or whole wheat, and add those fibrous foods like fruits and veggies! The fullness from those foods lasts longer, AND so does the energy! No after-meal naps and no after-meal snacks!

3: Dehydration: Your body sometimes confuses feeling thirsty for hungry. Ever wonder why some diets recommend drinking a glass of water before a meal? It may fill your stomach, but there’s more to it than that!

So what do you do?

• Don’t forget to drink water throughout the day so that you don’t feel hungry. It’s because you actually need food and not just water. If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water. Wait a few minutes. DISTRACT YOURSELF for a bit if the hunger feeling goes away, ha! You were thirsty, silly! If you still feel hungry. Well. It may be time to whip up a delicious, healthy meal for all food groups. Look back at the video from week 1 to remind yourself what a healthy plate looks like.

4: Your diet is low in zinc, which means that certain elements in it can regulate hormones like leptin, a hormone that helps you feel full. Leptin makes you Lean! So what you eat is not just crucial for your health BUT also feelings of hunger. This means that if you’re eating right, you won’t just feel better because you’re eating healthier, BUT the “I must eat all” feelings will also be reduced! Which is excellent on all counts of health, including maintaining a healthy weight!

What do you do?

• Make sure you try to include some of these foods in your diet foods with great levels of zinc! Consume foods such as oysters, beef, beans, chicken, and yogurt! Chickpeas, cheese, oatmeal! Almonds, peas,

5: Sleep deprivation: who knew sleep would have such a significant impact on your feelings of hunger! But it does because it plays around with your hormones. More specifically, Leptin and Ghrelin. Leptin goes down, so you’re less full. Ghrelin goes up, which makes you want to eat more.

So what do you do?

• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep!

There you have it… 5 non- hunger-related reasons why you might want to eat your whole fridge! So next time you experience this feeling, play around with the options you have to fix it before you need to go to the store and repack your fridge.

You didn’t think we’d forget the awesome weekly CHALLENGE yourself game, did you?

Time to get sweaty and have FUN doing it!

Time to call your parent or adolescent into the room! Pull out your favorite board game. It doesn’t matter which board game you choose, but it must include a pair of DICE. That’s right! Time to play a game! For every double number you roll, you must do 15 jumping jacks. For every even number, stack on as many squats as you can (max of 15). And for every odd number, how about 15 knee-ups!

Click on the links so you can see how to do each exercise correctly! Don’t worry! Modify them to fit your fitness level, and don’t forget posture. Discover amazing health benefits of bananas for energy and digestion.

After reading the benefits of Cardio, Don’t forget a glass of water while playing and exercising… you might need it by the time the game is over,, ha!