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Last Updated on April 15, 2020 by Tracy
Cardio can be an important part of any fitness routine, it is great for elevating your heart rate and helping you to lose calories. Discover the different types of cardio.
What Are The Different Types of Cardio Exercise?
Cardio exercise places focus on an increased heart rate through moderate to intense activity. Cardio exercise is quite often the most popular exercise option for men and women seeking to build muscle while losing fat. Cardio is usually done about 3-5 times per week for 30-60 minutes per session. Cardio helps get your heart rate elevated so that your body starts to burn calories and fat while you’re continuously moving.
Cardio should be included in your workout routine when you’re looking to build lean muscle and want to lose more fat. These cardio exercises are also perfect for the beginner and advanced fitness nut. This is why I always recommend cardio to newbies, it’s the perfect way to get yourself used to a daily workout without pushing yourself too hard too soon.
What Are The Different Types of Cardio Exercise?
There are many cardio exercises available for you to add to your daily workout routine. One suggestion I have is to figure out what your goals are for including cardio in your life. Are you looking to lose weight, build muscle tone or just lead a healthier lifestyle? Once you’ve determined your end goal for this new exercise routine, it’s time to learn more about cardio exercises.
There are three different levels of impact on cardio workouts. This includes high-impact, low-impact, and non-impact. A high-impact cardio workout will have both feet off of the ground at some point for a weight-bearing workout. The low-impact cardio workout will have one foot on the ground at all times providing you with a less intense cardio workout such as walking. Lastly, the non-impact cardio workout tends to be some of my favorites such as swimming or spinning. Don’t let the words, low impact or low impact foul you, they are still a heavy cardio workout!
Low-Impact Cardio Exercises
Can you lose weight doing low impact cardio? Yes, you can lose weight doing low impact cardio. Think of it this way, low impact just means no jumping…it does not mean low intensity.
Planks, Low Impact Jazzercise Classes, and elliptical workouts are the more popular low-impact cardio exercises to enjoy.
High-impact Cardio Exercises
The key to making sure high-impact exercise is more helpful than harmful is to have a good base of strength and joint control before attempting a high-impact cardio workout.
Some high-impact cardio exercises include running, jumping rope, High Impact Jazzercise and Aerobic Classes, burpees, side to side jumping lunges, and squat jumps.
Non-Impact Cardio Exercises
Non-impact cardio exercises are very similar to low-impact cardio workouts such as swimming, rowing, and spinning but they are mostly exercises that have both feet on the ground. Non-impact cardio workouts can provide you with some major calorie burn!
Now that you’ve learned more about the different types of cardio exercises, you should be ready to add a little cardio into your life. Remember that you should always work within your target heart range. Your target heart range refers to how many beats per minute you should push your heart to during a workout. Knowing where your heart rate is during a cardio workout is best monitored using a wrist-strap or a chest-strap monitor. Each of these products is available online and have a pricing structure to match a low-end to high-end budget.
If you’re wondering how to tell what your target heart range is, you can use this formula:
Subtract your age from 220. The answer will be your target heart range for your cardio workouts.
As with any diet and exercise plan, it’s best to consult your doctor to confirm that your heart is healthy enough to handle the different types of cardio exercise options shared today.
What is your favorite form of cardio?
I enjoy running, walking and going to Jazzercise. But I am also looking into the different types of yoga, I need a little more stretching and attention to my mind and body.
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