HOW MUCH CARDIO DO YOU NEED?

One of the questions we're asked most is how much cardio, aka cardiovascular exercise, a person should do. Cardio is any rhythmic movement that brings your heart rate up, like dancing, running, walking, swimming, biking, circuit training, etc.

Unfortunately there's no one size fits all answer, which is why "official" recommendations only tend to offer a frequency range and no specific type of exercise. They simply say move every day or exercise 3-5 days per week for 30 minutes, etc.

According to the Law of Specificity, how much cardio, and any other type of exercise for that matter, you should do depends largely on the goals that you are trying achieve. The answer for someone training for a marathon, triathlon or even a 5k, for instance, is not the same as someone training for general health or weight (fat) loss. Additionally, due to our varied ability, health issues and pre/post injury states the best workout program varies from person to person. This is actually great news since some people are intimidated by the hard core nature and sheer intensity of a CrossFit or Insanity-style workout, while others would be bored to tears "Sweatin' to the Oldies" a la Richard Simmons.

So what should YOU do?

First, consider your goal. Why are you doing cardio? Are you training for a sporting event? Are you an athlete? Do you just want to be healthy or are you trying to lose weight? 

From there, things get easier because you can then use the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) "FIT" exercise model:

Frequency: 3-5 days per week, 30-60 minutes. Beginners, seniors and the post-injured should probably start at the low end. Remember, if you do a little you can always add more, but if you do too much you can't take it back and you may risk injury. Athletes should train in a modality specific to their sport or event.

Intensity: Many of the best trainers use the "Talk Test" to help quickly and easily assess how hard a client is working so you can too. Can you carry on a conversation easily or is your breathing labored? Beginners should find their breathing a bit labored but they shouldn't be gasping for air. I also may ask clients to gauge how hard they feel they're working on a scale of 1-10, with ten being the hardest. Once you've gained experience and a solid foundation of cardio endurance, add interval training.

Time: the amount of time you spend will largely depend on you intensity. If your doing an easy, steady state run, for instance you'll be able to keep going for a lot longer than if your sprinting down the block. For general health, steady-state cardio can be done 20-60 minutes 3-5 days per week. Interval training (periods where you breathe easily mixed with periods where you're breathing hard) should be done at least 2 times per week.

Train smart. Move often. Be well.