Over the last few years there’s been a significant rise in young men participating in exercise, specifically weight training. While there’s no doubt that the uptick of people participating in resistance training is a good thing, it leaves something to be desired as far as overall health goes.
I never thought I’d write about the benefits of and reasons to improve your cardiovascular fitness. In my younger years I was pretty adamant about not doing cardio, citing bro knowledge like “it kills your gains” when my real reasoning was that it was simply not enjoyable.
Despite my past opinion on the topic, I have come to learn that cardio is actually pretty important for your health. If your goal is health, fitness, and longevity, some form of cardio training should be non-negotiable.
The benefits of cardio are vast, and despite what I, and many others, used to believe, it doesn’t make your muscles smaller or hamper the results from weight training—in fact, it can amplify them.
Cardio helps you stay lean by burning calories and fat. The leaner you are (to an extent) the more the work you do in the weight room can shine.
In addition to the appearance-based benefits, cardiovascular training helps to strengthen your heart, lower your heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease later in life. If your goal is to live a long, healthy life, these are all indisputably good things.
Cardio training can also improve your lung capacity and oxygen efficiency, which can make everyday activities easier.
This is the same concept as lifting weights, studying for a class, or, really, anything in life where the more you actually do the thing, the better and more efficient you get at it.
I acknowledge that the idea of starting a cardio routine may seem intimidating, but you don’t need to go on a 10-kilometre run on day one. Start small—walking is a great, low-impact option that can improve your cardiovascular health.
The best tip I can provide for cardio training is to find something you enjoy doing—if you hate running, try the bike or rowing machine. The best exercise is the one that you are most likely to stick with. Make it a bit more challenging every week and in no time you’ll be enjoying all the benefits that cardio can provide.