Cardio Myth

Are you doing too much cardio?

Mindless long runs? Long boring sessions on the bike or elliptical machine?

Many fitness scientist’s recommend some mild to moderate weight lifting along with your cardio.

I know cardio is one fat burning strategy, but it is time consuming and the reality is that aerobic activities burn far fewer calories than you think.  (Numerical calorie value’s posted below)

Fitness and Fat myth: “All I need to do for exercise and fat loss is Aerobics”

Here’s the reality: Weight training plus aerobics can give 3 times the fat loss of aerobic alone and adds shape to your body. Aerobics alone causes dramatic muscle loss and no increase in upper body bone density.

***4 pounds of muscle consumes as many calories as running one mile every day!**

Therefore 4 pounds of quality muscle is burning calories even while you are napping.

After age 35, inactive people lose muscle each year and gain fat.  Weight training can reverse the aging process.

After doing 20-30 minutes of cardio you may feel as though you’ve burned 600 calories but the cold reality is far different.

For example, researchers measured the number of calories burned when walking versus running.

The study showed that the average man burns just 124 calories when running a mile and only 88 when walking the same distance.

So by running three miles you can expect to burn about 396 calories and by walking three miles you will burn about 240.

Figures for other aerobic activities are shown below (these are calculated using a man who weighs 190 pounds).

·    Stationary bike (light): 474 calories per hour

·    Walking uphill (3.5 miles per hour): 518 calories per hour

·    High impact aerobics: 604 calories per hour

·    Stationary bike (moderate): 604 calories per hour

·    Jogging (light pace): 604 calories per hour

·    Running (5 miles per hour): 690 calories per hour

·    Stationary bike (vigorous): 906 calories per hour

Most activities can be turned into a cardio + resistance workout.

For example, if you like to walk or jog you can pick up a set of dumbbells, some ankle weights or even a weight vest.

If biking is your thing, just kick up the resistance.

Whatever cardio activity it is that you like to do you can add some resistance and not only will you burn more fat–but you’ll also be able to maintain more of your hard-earned quality-curvy-sexy-muscle mass.

If you are suffering from: Sports Injuries, Sprains, Strains, Car accident,  Herniated Disc, Disc Bulge, Degenerative Disc Disease, Neck pain, Headaches, Low back pain, of just want to feel better and have better life performance– please call our office in Irvine, California- at (949) 857.1888 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (949) 857.1888      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit our website at ADJUST2IT to learn more about Functional Fitness Chiropractic, Sports massage, Myofascial Release, Corrective Exercise, Non Surgical Spinal Decompression, Class IV laser, Functional Endocrinology and Functional Nutrition.