Are you doing TOO MUCH CARDIO?
While cardio can contribute to many amazing health benefits such as:
- Improving blood circulation
- Promoting elimination of waste
- Boosting metabolism
- Workout recovery
Is doing too much of it, adversely affecting your health goals? The answer…YES.
Cardio in excess can actually be your foe not your friend, when trying to build a toned, healthy physique. Especially if you’re limiting calorie intake plus partaking in excessive, LONG cardio sessions, could be detrimental to your fitness objectives, as it may cause muscle loss instead of fat loss.
Additionally, it could put your body in a catabolic state, thus, burning the hard-earned muscle that sculpts your body. As a result, the loss of muscle mass will reduce strength and eventually slow your metabolism. Lastly, extreme aerobic exercise can promote the production of cortisol, the stress hormone that weakens the immune system. If chronic levels ensue, it can induce feelings of fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleeping as well as lowers bone density.
So, what are some indicators of TOO much Cardio?
- Your body remains “soft”, regardless your hard work
- Your joints (ankles, knees, hips and lower back ) are chronically achy
- You’re not sleeping well
- You’re getting sick more often
- You’re always feeling drained and fatigued
- You’re tired of always “working out”
What are the KEYS to cardio success?
Keep your heart pumping sessions within a shorter duration to preserve your muscularity. Try interval training which will keep your sessions short and intense. If you’re a distance runner or partaking in cardio over 60-70 minutes, ensure you’re consuming enough to support your calorie expenditure. In order to build and sustain a healthy, toned body you NEED to eat enough food!
Cardio is absolutely a fundamental component to include in your fitness regimen. However, too much of a good thing may negatively impact your desired results, if you don’t take a holistic fitness approach in your fitness objectives.
KEY TAKEAWAYS – Diet and exercise go hand-in-hand; caloric expenditure should align with caloric intake. Excessive cardio will burn muscle not fat; keep cardio within a shorter duration.