First of all,, why is cardio neccisary? Cardio is any activity that gets your heartrate up and icreases blood circulation through the body.Cardio is used for many reasons,, one main reason is to burn extra calories, with weigt loss as a result. Cardio also makes your heart stronger, so it doesnt have to work as hard. Cardio also helps relieve stress, and can also help you sleep better There are many more benefits from doing cardio, but many of us use it mainly for weight loss.
Before we get to the main question,, How Much? I want to talk about what the best type of cardio is.. The best kind of cardio is the kind you enjoy... Hmmm you think... what could this be? And how can I enjoy cardio? All you have to do is to find something you enjoy doing? Living in Florida gives us unlimited recources for cardio... Here are just a few.. Swimming, Biking, Hiking, boating (non motorized,, hehe). Running, Beach Volleyball, Basketball, Bowling, Tennis.. The list goes on.. There are many options, the key is to find something you enjoy doing,, and switch it up every now and then. So now comes the big question?? HOW MUCH,, should I be doing?
The question HOW MUCH really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are wanting to lose weight you will obviously do a little more than someone who is wanting to just be healthy, and maintain their weight.
*For maintaining what you have, and to stay heart healthy,, 2-4 days a week and 20-40 mins.
*For weight loss,, 3-6 days a week at 30-60 mins
*For anyone competing in sports, or training for competition, you might do more than and hour a day. But this is only done while training,, not all the time.
This is only a key,, everyones body is different. It would be good to start out with doing 4 or 5 days a week of moderate to high intensity cardio for weight loss. And adjust from there if needed. Now this might seem hard, but if you keep it fun, and change it up,, It might actually become enjoyable..