Cardiovascular exercise, commonly known as cardio, is an essential aspect of a fitness regimen. It refers to activities that increase the heart rate and improve the functioning of the heart and lungs. These exercises include running, cycling, swimming, and other high-intensity workouts that aim to enhance cardiovascular health.
However, many people fall into the trap of cardio coasting, which is the practice of doing the same low-intensity cardio workout for an extended period without increasing the intensity or difficulty. This approach might seem comfortable, but it can sabotage your fitness goals in the long run. In this article, we’ll explore the detrimental effects of slacking off in your cardiovascular training and why you should avoid cardio coasting.
What is Cardio Coasting? Cardio coasting refers to the practice of sticking to the same low-intensity cardio workout for a prolonged period. This approach is characterized by doing the same exercise at the same pace and intensity without increasing the duration or difficulty level.
The Detrimental Effects of Cardio Coasting
- Plateauing One of the main problems with cardio coasting is that it leads to a plateau in your fitness progress. When you do the same workout at the same intensity for an extended period, your body adapts to it, and the workout becomes less challenging. As a result, your body stops improving, and you may not see any further progress in your fitness level.
- Reduced Caloric Burn Another negative impact of cardio coasting is that it can reduce the number of calories you burn during your workout. When you do the same workout for an extended period, your body becomes more efficient, and it burns fewer calories to perform the same task. This means that you will burn fewer calories than you did when you first started, making it harder to lose weight or maintain your weight loss.
- Reduced Cardiovascular Health Cardiovascular exercise is essential for improving heart health, reducing the risk of heart disease, and improving blood circulation. However, if you engage in cardio coasting, you are not challenging your heart and lungs enough to improve their functioning. As a result, your cardiovascular health may not improve, and you may not reap the full benefits of cardio exercise.
- Increased Risk of Injury When you do the same low-intensity workout for a prolonged period, you are not challenging your body enough to strengthen your muscles and joints. As a result, you may be more susceptible to injuries, particularly if you suddenly increase the intensity or duration of your workout.
How to Avoid Cardio Coasting
- Mix Up Your Workouts To avoid cardio coasting, it’s essential to mix up your workouts regularly. This means incorporating different types of cardio exercises, such as running, cycling, swimming, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). By varying your workouts, you can challenge your body and prevent plateaus.
- Increase the Intensity To keep improving your fitness level, it’s important to increase the intensity of your workouts gradually. This can be done by increasing the duration, distance, or resistance of your workout. By doing so, you challenge your body and burn more calories, leading to better fitness results.
- Monitor Your Heart Rate Monitoring your heart rate during your workouts can help you determine if you are challenging your body enough. By maintaining your heart rate in the target zone, you can ensure that you are pushing yourself enough to see improvements in your fitness level.
Conclusion
Cardiovascular exercise is an essential aspect of any fitness regimen. However, cardio coasting, the practice of doing the same low-intensity workout for an extended period, can sabotage your fitness goals by leading to plateaus, reduced caloric burn, reduced cardiovascular health, and an increased risk of injury.