Many fitness enthusiasts can become firmly engrained into one type of cardio. You’ve probably seen it, the ones who insist that “Slow and steady wins the fitness game” while the high-intensity camp pushes, “Quicker cardio, quicker results.”
The fact of the matter is, there is a place for both of these types of cardio, whether you are treadmill training at home or cycling outside.
What Do Different Workout Intensities Do For You
Often, the benefits of cardio exercise are lumped together, no matter what type of workout intensity you are engaged in. However, depending on the type of workout intensity, there are different benefits associated.
Low-Intensity Cardio Exercise Benefits
One of the major benefits of engaging in low-intensity cardio workouts is the ability to reduce cardiovascular risks. Researchers have seen that moderate, regular aerobic exercise over 6-12 months can significantly reduce inflammatory and cardiovascular risks. Some of the health risk factors which can be reduced with steady cardio workouts are:
- Inflammation in body
- High blood pressure
- Bad cholesterol levels
- Insulin resistance
Also, along with the overall health benefits, steady cardio workouts, such as running at the same speed for 40-60 minutes is much easier on the body than other types of workouts. However, one of the key things not usually associated with low-intensity cardio workouts is changes in body composition — aka, weight loss. Usually, you will need high-intensity workouts for that.
High-Intensity Cardio Exercise Benefits
As you might guess, high-intensity cardio is very popular for its well-documented ability to assist with weight loss and overall body composition. While you can lose weight and develop better body condition with low-intensity or steady-state cardio, it will be at a slower rate than if you include high-intensity cardio exercise.
Also, like low-intensity cardio exercise, the higher intensity cardio workouts can also reduce health risks, all while doing shorter workouts than low-intensity cardio workouts call for. The only issue is, high-intensity cardio can also be highly exhausting.
Because there are clear benefits to both types of cardio workout intensities, it just makes sense to learn how to combine the two for great results.
Ways To Effectively Mix Low- And High-Intensity Cardio Workouts
You could just start willy-nilly doing different low- and high-intensity cardio workouts, but that’s an excellent way to see your workout plans fall apart when you run out of motivation. Rather than chancing that, here are some ways you can effectively mix these two types of workouts.
Plan your workout intensity rotation
Planning is a huge component of successful workouts. By planning your workout intensity rotation, you can space out your more exhausting high-intensity workouts around low-intensity exercise, or stack the tiring workouts earlier in the week. No matter what you end up doing, having a set schedule makes it easier for you to stick to your workout routine and reap the benefits.
Make sure you have the right equipment
When it comes to low-intensity cardio exercise, pretty much any equipment will work, as long as you stay in the weight requirements. However, high-intensity cardio like HIIT requires better equipment. You may want to do things like compare high-end cycling bikes, treadmills, and other key pieces of cardio equipment to find the right one for your needs.
Listen to your body
If you are feeling particularly tired or achy, don’t feel like you have to do a high-intensity workout. Pushing yourself too hard can easily lead to injury, so feel free to swap in a low-intensity cardio workout, like slowly jogging. Also, if you are feeling extra energetic, you can opt for a high-intensity workout over a slower-paced workout.
Keep things fresh with workouts
It is easy to become stuck in a workout rut, alternating between the same two workouts like a HIIT run two days a week with a long run at the same pace the other two days. By having boring workouts, you are more likely to skip a workout. To prevent this, try to add in a new workout routine whenever you feel like things are becoming stale.
No matter what type of exercise equipment, you decide works best for your cardio fitness endeavors, just do your best to pack in a mixture of low- and high-intensity cardio so you can be sure to reach your health and fitness goals.
