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You already know that one of the most important things you can do for your weight loss goals is regular cardio exercise. There are so many choices out there...which exercises are the most effective?
The best cardio exercise is simply the one you will do day in and day out consistently. Choose one which you enjoy doing and don't be afraid to mix the exercises up. Interval cardio work consists of moving from one exercise to another in set time intervals. For example, you could do the elliptical trainer for 15 minutes, then switch to the stationary bike for another 15 minutes and finish off on the treadmill for the last 15 minutes. Interval training is a great way to keep everything fresh!
Cardio describes exercises where you tend to sweat a lot with your whole body. Most popular of such exercises are:
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Running. It costs nothing to do, can be done anywhere, burns a lot of energy. However, it does have the disadvantage of sometimes hurting your knees and it is also difficult to do when the weather is unfortunate. |
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Cycling. This is by far my favorite because it can be done outside as well as at home. The home stationary bike can be rather affordable to obtain and there is nothing easier than biking while watching a movie on TV. As a disadvantage cycling does not burn as much energy as other exercises. |
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Elliptical trainer. All the benefits of running without any of the disadvantages. The downside is that one must have access to gym or purchase a machine for home. The latter is slightly more expensive than the stationary bicycle. |
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Swimming. It is a full body exercise which means a lot of energy gets burned. Its enjoyable, super healthy, however not as accessible and usually one must pay regularly for it. |
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Next, let's have a look at how efficient each type of exercise is. Here is a table to give you an idea for a session of one hour at an average effort (please note that most of the time it will be more than this)
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Cycling minimum 350 calories
Running minimum 650 calories
Swimming minimum 450 calories
Walking minimum 250 calories
Elliptical minimum 500 calories
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Now let's not bother so much with the numbers. Let me tell you what simple thing we can learn from here. All these exercises burn a good amount of energy, so the best thing you can do is pick one that you can do regularly (3+ times per week), that you enjoy. If you can do many different ones, then even better, because you will not get bored - diversity is wonderful.
The key is: "Do something, anything". Universe favors movement. Think about it, every single thing in the existence is in movement. If things stop moving, only bad things can be expected. So move it! :)
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