When it comes to strength training, experts usually recommend that you rest for a day or two between workouts because your muscles need to recover. But, what about cardio? Do you require rest days when you are doing cardiovascular exercise? This exercise is considered important because it improves your blood flow, strengthens the muscles, boosts mood, reduces your risk of hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, and improves sleep as well as lung and heart function.
What to know about Cardio Exercise?
Your muscles require more oxygen and blood when you engage in cardio exercise as compared to when they are at rest. This pushes your lungs and heart to work harder, which can make them stronger over time. This improves the flow of oxygen and blood in your body. There are different types of activities that fall under the umbrella of cardio exercise. Some you can do at a moderate pace, such as walking, while others require a more intense pace, such as biking uphill, running, swimming laps and jumping rope.
Recommended amount of Cardio Exercise
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), regardless of what cardio exercise you decide to engage in, it is best to do it for a minimum of 10 minutes to get the most benefits. If you are doing moderate-intensity cardio workouts, such as brisk walking, then it is suggested that you do it for half an hour every day. This can be divided into two 15-minute walk on a daily basis. There is no upper limit on the amount of cardio exercise that you can engage in on a daily or weekly basis. But, if you are pushing yourself hard, then it is suggested that you skip a day or two every week to avoid burnout and injury.
Is doing Cardio Exercise every day Safe?
Research shows that doing 60 minutes of cardio exercise on a daily basis is safe, especially if your goal is to achieve weight loss. But, exercising intensely daily, or most days of the week does have some risks. Nonetheless, you should remember that the amount of cardio exercise you should do also depends on your overall health, level of fitness and underlying health conditions, if any. Some symptoms that will indicate that you are overdoing it are poor sleep, painful joints, lingering muscle soreness, decreasing enthusiasm and interest for exercise and exercises that were once easy becoming difficult.
What are the pros of doing Cardio exercise?
Doing cardio exercise daily certainly has its advantages and it is important to know what they are because they can affect your health. Cardio exercise can help you sleep better at night, particularly if you do it early in the day. It can improve lung function as well as overall respiratory health. Your blood flow also improves and this can be helpful in managing high blood pressure. Cardio exercise is also known to improve your cardiovascular health and heart function. It can also lead to weight loss because it improves the use of fat as an energy source.
