What Is The Best Cardio Workout?

What Is The Best Cardio Workout?

Is it HIIT (High intensity, interval training)? 

Is it LISS (Low Intensity, Steady State)? 

Well, the answer is… It depends on so many factors.                                                     

Why is that you may ask yourself. The simple answer is that every single person is different, even though we share 99% of the same DNA, that 1% makes a huge difference in terms of our physiology which then plays a part in the type of cardiovascular activity we are best suited to. 

There have been claims that either HIIT is better than LISS or the opposite. They both work, but what works for you, it may not work for me and this can be due not just our physiology but body shape, weight and injury history . Like for instance I'm not a fan of road running and struggle due to injury niggles and I really struggle to run 2km without seizing up and dying a slow death and hating the activity even more.

Put me on a bike and I'm a different beast or on a tennis court and I can play quite comfortably for 90 minutes and feel amazing after it.

So even though someone may say that one is better than the other, it all comes down to one main factor. Which one do you like the most and which one adapts better to your lifestyle? Yes, it is that simple, it all comes down to the one that you like the most, and the one that can best adapt to your lifestyle. Different people, different tastes, different reactions. 

If you are a person that has times constrains and you only have 30 min to workout in a day, then you may benefit from HIIT. If you are a person that has a little bit more flexibility on your schedule and enjoy steady state cardio, then go for it and run for 10km or cycle for 60km. And if you have a background in team sports try and hook up with a few mates for a kick about or shoot some hoops on the basketball court and get moving.

In addition, do not stick to one form of cardio workout. I advise that you experiment and mix up durations and intensities and try not to overload the body with the same repetitive movements. There is this misconception that running is the most effective cardio or is the only pure form of cardio. If you like it, sure, go ahead. But if you do not, why are you torturing yourself like that? 

Fitness does not have to be boring, painful or a ritual akin to torture. There are a ton of ways to do a cardio workout and you cannot tell me that there is nothing out there that you like. 

You can do any of the following: 

  1. Power walking (please don’t swing dumbbells) 
  2. Running 
  3. Swimming
  4. Biking(road or mountain) 
  5. Dancing 
  6. Stair climbing
  7. Hiking
  8. Elliptical trainer
  9. Rowing (indoor or on water)
  10. Add in sports like 5-aside football, basketball, social Gaelic football & hurling, touch rugby and not to mention tennis, badminton and squash e.t.c. 

Also, ask a friend to join you. It is always more fun to do activities with a friend. You can encourage and keep each other accountable. 

Please feel free message should you have questions about finding the right cardio activity for you.

*Can’t believe I forgot one of the cardio greats - indoor cycling or spinning!

Have a great weekend:)