Cardio.
There are die hard fans & avid “would-rather-die” fans. Some people do it because they have to, some do it as a warm up & others will avoid it like the plague.
I hate cardio. I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than partake in HIIT training & the thought of using a treadmill makes me all squiddly. I absolutely & unequivocally do not understand those who can run for hours; whether that’s on a treadmill in the gym or those who think that there is nothing better than running a marathon.
My Life’s Motto
That being said, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with those who CHOOSE to do all the cardio because it’s what they enjoy doing – I’ll happily congratulate you on beating your PB or getting a medal at the end of a gruelling race. Just don’t expect me to go with you the next time you decide to run, I have better things to do…..like sit on the sofa & do nothing.
Once upon a time I did not think this way, I thought anyone who did cardio for longer than a warm up was insane – however (& this is where it may be a little confusing as I already said I hate it) I am a better, “healthier” person because of cardio. I don’t consider what I do to be cardio though; because I absolutely, undeniably LOVE what I do (those new to the blog, I cycle around 60 miles (95km) a week, every week) It’s not a chore – most days – I don’t class it as cardio because cardio to me insinuates getting all sweaty & jumping around like a lunatic in a warm, stale gym studio; or as previously mentioned *shudder* running.
I genuinely believe that you should find a cardio form that you enjoy, because if you do – you’ll want to do it more than forcing yourself to do something you hate; it’s why I don’t do HIIT, aerobics, P90X, spinning etc – they’re my idea of torture.
Anyway, I have a point. (I’m sorry if this seems really unstructured & garbled; I have a lot on my mind & trying to isolate my point is proving a little difficult)
- I cycled everywhere as a child, I thought getting back on a bike would be easy, it wasn’t.
- For the first few weeks, if not months I had to pace myself; stopping to catch my breath because it felt like my lungs were on fire
- My water bottle became my best friend
- The thought of cycling after it’d snowed was the least enthusiastic I’d been about doing anything for at least a decade
- My legs hurt, my chest hurt, my face hurt. I seriously questioned my sanity more than once when I started cycling again
You know what? I could have easily jacked it in & went back to a 5 minute “death sentence” on the cross trainer for every gym session, but I’m glad I didn’t. I absolutely love being out on the bike.
The human body is a delicate piece of intricate machinery & like a beautiful car, it requires a lot of TLC – Something far too many of us, have all at one point or another not done. I knew when I first got my bike last year that I was not fit, but was not expecting the ordeal it was to cycle on a daily basis. My blood pressure has always been pretty steady; sometimes on the lower scale, but my resting heart rate was something else; averaging around 75BPM. Below is a screenshot from my Fitbit app; my resting heart rate is now anywhere between 48BPM – 53BPM & I owe it to cardio. Cardio has also been a MASSIVE help in my weight loss & reduction in body fat, I lost 6lb in the first month of cycling to & from work or the gym.
THAT’S AN ATHLETE LEVEL RHR!
Also, y’know if the zombies ever appear; never, ever forget Rule #1:
Goals for Gains 