Why you should stop skipping cardio

I know what you're thinking. "Cardio, I'll do that tomorrow." After a long day of frustration in the office it's easy to save the boring stuff for another day. Especially when you haven't been home in hours and your coffee mug and breakfast bowl are sitting in the sink waiting to be washed, dried and put away.

Cardio or cardiovascular exercise is defined as anything that gets your heart rate up and and increases blood circulation. It's important to remember that when pairing cardio with a weight training routine, cardio should always follow lifting. Lifting depletes your bodies glycogen which leaves the body in tip top shape for fat burning. Prime time for cardio!

Aside from the cosmetic purposes of cardio, it provides a variety of other health benefits.

1. Improved Heart Heath

Something we often forget is that our heart is actually a muscle. We lift to keep our other muscles strong and healthy yet often neglect perhaps the most important muscle in our body. In order to keep the heart strong and functioning properly, it must be exercised as such.

If you can perform extraordinary lifting sessions but get winded walking up a flight of stairs, you may consider adding a couple of cardio days to your current gym schedule.

2. Increased Metabolism

Along with an increased heart rate, performing cardio also speeds up a couple of other functions in the body. One of which just happens to be your metabolism. If you're wondering what a metabolism is it's likely because you lost it freshman year of college and have been looking around ever since.

More intense cardio sessions or interval training (HIIT) are known best for speeding up a metabolism. The faster the metabolism the easier to maintain your weight or shed some off.

3. Hormones

You're probably thinking- "what in the world could cardio have to do with my hormones?" Exercise creates hormones that make you feel good otherwise known as endorphins. Endorphins decrease symptoms of stress and depression. Exercise also releases hormones that suppress your appetite.  Winning.
 "Happy people just don't kill their husbands."- Elle Woods

4. Recovery

Slow to moderate paced cardio can actually improve recovery time. Hopping on the treadmill for a light jog after your killer leg day will carry oxygen into your muscles improving the repairing and rebuilding process.

If you're just starting out focus on small victories rather than large ones. You can't go from the couch to a marathon in just a day. Find methods that you enjoy and aim to sweat. More importantly, get to the gym and exercise your heart.