Plan

To achieve your desired results, it is critical that you know what you are doing right from the word go. You should have a clear idea of how your workouts will be structured. According to experts, you should aim for between 2 and 3 sessions of cardio workouts per week. Also, start with simple workouts at first that progressively get harder over time. If you are not making any progress in your training, then you will need to adjust your workout to be more challenging. If you are able to handle more as you continue training, this shows that you are making a great progress.

Cool Down

I cannot stress enough the importance of cooling down periodically while training. Why? This is because it helps in bringing the rate of your heart back down. In turn, this contributes greatly in improving your process of recovery. It gives your body a chance to slow down after engaging in an intense session. In short, don’t strain but train – this can only be achieved by giving yourself some breaks to cool down and giving your body a chance to prepare for the next task in your cardio workout.

Sprints

Sprints help to build muscles in the legs and it is essential that you either have them as their own workout session or as a part of your comprehensive cardio workout. Whichever way you choose, sprinting will add a great boost to your cardio workouts and will help you achieve your desired fitness level within the shortest time possible. As such, don’t overlook sprints but make a point of capitalising on the benefits they offer.

Mix In Exercises

The art of combining and mixing exercises is very essential in cardio workouts and it is one of the key elements of my training. Mixing in different exercises helps to optimise your training and keep your sessions from getting boring. You should come with a good action plan for how to integrate various exercises into your training sessions. Try to mix weight training exercises in between running sessions to achieve remarkable results. Most importantly, having a variety of strength and endurance exercises ensures that you will optimise your workout time. This also helps break up those boring sessions and the monotony that comes from doing the same thing over and over. Keeping in mind all these aspects will help you build the best cardio workout that delivers your desired results.

I don’t feel like I’ve been around very much lately. We’re in the final throws of a house extension and my kids are growing up fast. Don’t worry though, I’m back and I’ve been training hard. Still running, still lifting weights and still enjoying it. I thought I’d write a little bit about the health benefits of cycling.

When you’re looking for ways to keep fit, you can often feel overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the right exercise regime for you. For a lot of people, the answer is cycling. It’s easy to get into, it improves your health and it’s cheap. Here are just four of the health benefits:

1. Improved Stamina

Make cycling a regular part of your week and you’ll begin to notice improved levels of stamina. If you’re cycling to work every day, you’ll start to notice that you’re getting there quicker week by week.  You may also notice that the gears you normally use are becoming too easy for you. Ratchet the up the difficulty and continue to challenge yourself. When you’re out on a bike ride at the weekend, you may be surprised at how far you can go!

An excellent way to track your progress is to record your rides using cycling apps available for your smartphone. The Strava cycling app will give you a detailed breakdown of each ride and help you track your progress.

2. Easy Way To Exercise

Jogging may seem like the cheapest and easiest way to get started, but it might not be as beneficial as you’d think. Your joints can take a battering when you first get started and that can be enough to put people off it for good. Cycling on the other hand, is a great alternative.

The majority of your weight is supported by the saddle of your bike. This means that if you are carrying a bit of extra weight, your skeleton won’t take a beating as you start to exercise.

Cycling is also a relatively cost effective way to exercise. Leisure Lakes Bikes have a wide variety of bikes to suit any budget. Just make sure you have the necessary safety gear before you hit the roads. We’d recommend that you pick up one of these Fox helmets to keep you safe, just in case any accidents occur.

3. Burns Calories

With winter on the way, what better way to start shifting those unwanted pounds than by hopping on your bike? If you maintain a 10 mph pace, it’s possible to burn 215 – 500 calories on every 30 minute bike ride. Every little helps, and it won’t take you long to get to this level if you cycle regularly.

4. Improves Heart Health

Medical News Today reported that cycling could reduce your risk of heart disease by 50 per cent if you cycle just 20 miles every week. The British Medical Association carried out the research using 10,000 civil servants and found that those who cycled were half as likely to suffer from heart disease. Mark that down as one more reason to get pedalling!

Thanks for reading and I promise to start blogging more.

Eating at least one orange a day will…

…cut your chance of oral and bowel cancer by 50% (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research).

…reduce your risk of arthritis by 52% (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).

…reduce your risk of a stroke by 19% (World Health Organisation).

…reduce your “bad” cholesterol levels by 40% (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry).

…lower your chance of stomach ulcers by 25% (Journal of the American College of Nutrition).

…reduce your risk of lung cancer by 37% (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention).

Get peeling folks!