Cardio is a type of exercise that boosts your heart rate and helps to burn calories. Whether it’s running, swimming or cycling, cardio is an important part of any fitness plan.

However, over-relying on it to lose weight could backfire. Besides, cardio exercises can also increase your appetite, making it harder to maintain a calorie deficit.

Cardiovascular Exercise Burns More Calories Than Any Other Form of Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise (also known as aerobic exercise) is the type of exercise that raises your heart rate and gets you breathing faster. It’s the best kind of exercise if you want to lose weight and stay healthy.

Cardio exercises are easy to do in the comfort of your own home and can help you burn calories without any equipment at all. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you do cardiovascular exercise at least 150 minutes a week.

Running, cycling, swimming and fitness classes are all great ways to get your heart pumping. And, of course, strength training (lifting weights) also helps you burn calories and build muscle.

The intensity of your cardio workout is determined by the speed at which you move and how hard you push yourself. To monitor your intensity, do a “talk test.” You’ll be able to hold a conversation while exercising at the appropriate level for you.

It Slows Down Your Metabolism

When you exercise, your body works hard to get oxygen to your muscles and keep your heart beating. This process is called aerobic exercise, and it’s a fantastic way to improve your health and boost your energy levels.

However, over time, cardio can cause your metabolism to slow down. It’s a protective response designed to protect your energy stores from depleting too quickly.

If you’re on a strict diet, your metabolism can even slow down, and you may have to cut back significantly in order to maintain your weight loss.

In addition to the fat-burning power of cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, when done correctly, can also boost your metabolism and lead to weight loss. By focusing on strength training, you’ll build more lean muscle mass and improve your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories throughout the day.

It Slows Down Your Sleep

Cardiovascular exercise is a great way to burn calories and increase your heart health. It can be anything from running to swimming or dancing. It’s also a great choice for people on a budget because it doesn’t require fancy equipment or an expensive gym membership.

A good cardiovascular workout should be designed around you, your schedule and your fitness level. The most effective routines include a mixture of high-intensity and low-intensity sessions throughout the day. Aim for about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio spread out over most days of the week.

It’s also a good idea to do a few light activities before bedtime, such as taking in the sun or turning off all electronic devices an hour before you hit the sack. Sleep deprivation can have negative effects on your weight, energy levels and mood. The best night’s sleep comes from a well-deserved eight hours of shuteye accompanied by a spirited exercise routine.

It Slows Down Your Muscle Growth

Many bodybuilders fear cardiovascular exercise because of the belief that it shrivels muscle tissue and saps strength. While it’s true that excessive cardio can cause muscle loss, moderate cardio is actually beneficial for gaining muscle.

Moreover, it helps improve your heart’s stroke volume and increases the number of small blood vessels that are present within muscle cells. These vessels are responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients to working muscles and removing waste products from your body.

The best way to avoid this problem is to include cardiovascular exercise in a variety of forms, including walking, cycling, running and swimming.

But be sure to keep the frequency, intensity and duration of your workouts to a minimum. This will allow you to make the most of your efforts and still see gains.