Out of breath after a few stairs, little time for sport, but want to feel better? Cardio fitness advice is aimed at those who want to strengthen their heart without getting lost in complicated programs. Cardio training can be done indoors, at home or outside with little equipment. It remains to be seen how to go about it in practice.
In practice, cardio fitness includes all exercises that gradually increase the heart rate: active walking, exercise bike, treadmill, choreographed classes or strengthening sessions with rapid movements. Well chosen, these formats improve breathing and recovery, and make everyday activities easier. You still need to adopt the right reflexes from the start.
Cardio fitness: simple guidelines to get started
THE cardio training corresponds to all exercises that work the heart and breathing continuously or with intervals. The idea remains simple: raise your heart rate regularly to improve endurance, help with weight control and gain daily energy.
For a beginner, cardio fitness tips
Reasonable measures are to aim for two to three weekly sessions of 20 to 40 minutes. The effort must remain moderate enough to be able to speak at the same time, while still maintaining a feeling of warmth and accelerated breathing. Active walking, cycling or the elliptical often provide a good base before moving on to more intense formats like HIIT.
Cardio fitness shoes: expert advice
Be careful when choosing your fitness shoes. For high-impact cardio like running, jogging or skipping, a pair with strong cushioning and good grip protects knees and ankles. For activities with a lot of jumping or boxing, strong arch support and excellent lateral stability become priorities.
For yoga, dance or very fluid classes, flexible and lightweight sneakers allow more freedom of movement. Whatever happens, a few criteria remain key: effective cushioning, grip on carpet or indoor floor, comfort around the ankle and instep, as light weight as possible to limit fatigue. In bodybuilding, flat shoes like Converse, on the contrary, offer a stable base for pushing heavy.