Here’s a surprisingly-common question in the health-and-fitness world: “Is aerobic exercise a better cardio?” Well, this article will answer that question once and for all.

 

Aerobics And Cardio Explained

First of all, aerobics are exercises meant to improve the body’s respiration (that’s “breathing” in fitness-speak). The better you breathe, the more oxygen your body gets. That means your organs will very likely get enough oxygen, which in turn lets them perform at peak efficiency.

 

On the other hand, cardio (short for “cardiovascular”) exercises are meant to improve the body’s blood circulation system. It also strengthens the heart, helping it pump oxygen-rich blood more efficiently.

 

So what’s the difference? Hardly anything. In other words, aerobics and cardio are the same.

 

So that means it’s impossible (silly, actually) to ask if aerobics exercise is better than cardio exercise. But there ARE certain aerobic/cardio exercises out there that are better than others. Let’s take a look at some of the more common ones.

 

Good Aerobic/Cardio Exercises

The first aerobic/cardio exercise that most people try is jogging. Anyone can do it — all you need is a good pair of running shoes and a safe jogging route. You don’t need an expensive gym subscription or a clunky treadmill to start jogging.

 

Biking is also a good exercise. It’s better than jogging in the sense that you can go further and deal with rougher terrain. Biking also gives you an opportunity to explore the countryside and get some fresh air, and even find time to relax, meditate, reflect, and pray.

 

Boxing is another great aerobic/cardio workout to try. Kids to grandparents love thumping the heavy bags — who says that’s not good stress relief? Boxing is better than jogging and biking in the sense that the upper body also gets a good workout. It also helps develop your strength, speed, and reflexes.

 

Finally, there’s swimming. Swimming is a great aerobic/cardio exercise to try when you want to develop your strength, flexibility, and endurance all at the same time. Some fitness experts call swimming the best “all-in-one” exercise, because it hits so many fitness goals all at once.

A Few Tips About Aerobics/Cardio

Most fitness buffs will tell you to go through your cardio exercises first, and then move on to weights and interval training later when your muscles have stretched and warmed up. One of cardio’s main uses is to prevent injury when you start doing more intense exercises.

 

It’s also important to remember to pace yourself. You can push yourself a little past your limit everyday (that’s actually recommended), but no more or you risk hurting yourself. (Or worse, embarrassing yourself).

 

Stay cool — when jogging, for instance, slow down to a walk when you get tired, then speed up to a jog again when you feel okay again. Later on, when your stamina and endurance get better, you can jog (or even run) the entire way. That usually happens after 3 months when you stick to the ideal frequency of jogging 3 times a week, 30 minutes each time.

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Dec 07th by jack