Why You Should Add Cardio To Your Workout

It’s a great feeling being able to get into a workout schedule and maintain it for a couple of months. Typically it’s the first month or two of keeping a consistent workout that determines whether it will be a lasting habit or something that you will drop in and out of for years to come. So if you’ve made it that far, kudos to you! If not, that’s okay, with enough concentration you’ll be keeping a workout routine like a pro.

However, for men especially, the tendency, once you are in a workout routine, is to start doing just one or several exercises that you believe will build the most muscle mass. Although this is called for in some cases, there’s usually a lot that can be missed by having a routine like this. In this blog, we’ll talk about some of the main reasons why you’ll want to add some cardio exercises to your workout if you haven’t done so already, regardless of whether you’re trying to build muscle mass or not.

Healthier heart

The most obvious reason for adding cardio to your routine is that it creates a healthy heart. Think of cardio as weightlifting for your heart. Since your heart is a muscle just like all other muscles in your body, it needs to be worked in order to stay strong and healthy. Maintaining a healthy heart can help it combat issues that could creep in like poor circulation, heart attacks, and diabetes. With cardio, your heart will be able to handle weight lifting exercises with ease allowing you to have a better workout.

Recovery ability

Cardio is great at the end of a long weightlifting session. If you have trouble with sore muscles or aching joints after a hard workout, even just a short and light jog on a treadmill could help you feel a lot better the next day. Post-workout cardio will remove some by-products created during the lifting process and will reduce the delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), allowing more oxygen-rich blood into the muscle tissue so it will repair faster.

Energy

In addition to increasing your recovery ability, cardio will increase your energy levels. Health specialists have said time and time again that even a short walk or jog can significantly increase your energy levels. Think of it this way, cardio is a tool used to increase your heart’s health. And your heart provides the rest of your body with the necessary nutrients to function properly. It’s only natural that if you increase the productivity of your heart, you’re going to see a lot of great side-effects on the rest of your body. That means reduced fatigue, better sleep, and generally more enjoyment out of your life.

Metabolism

Metabolism is your body’s ability to combine nutrients with oxygen to release energy that our bodies need to work properly. Along with heart rate, metabolism is increased by cardiovascular exercise. This means you’ll be healthier all around and fell much better than before you started working out. Additionally, your body will be more effective at breaking down food that you consume, so you’ll be able to eat more of what you want to eat.

Diabetes prevention

Cardiovascular exercise will help maintain your diabetes if you have it, or prevent it for people who don’t. Exercise will make your body better at using glucose and people who tend to exercise a lot will have better control over their blood sugar levels, seeing fewer swings in blood sugar levels over time. This is important to someone who has diabetes because you’ll feel like you have more control over your body and its changes in blood sugar levels.

Whether you’re a heavy lifter or new to weightlifting, it’s important to remember that cardiovascular exercise is also a crucial part of working out. Try going on a light jog before your workout to warm up and after your workout to break down by-products, increase metabolism, heart function, and generally increase your energy and enjoyment of life! If you’re looking for exercise equipment in Lubbock, contact Fitness Specialists today! We have everything from elliptical machines to dumbbell racks and everything in between. Get started building the home gym of your dreams!