Cardio Rules That Every Beginner Should Know

Starting a healthy, active lifestyle is a big commitment that is potentially life-changing. Most people already know that if they want to optimize their results, they need to dedicate time and effort for both cardio training and resistance training.

This article covers the rules relating to cardiovascular training. The majority of beginners tend to be dismissive of cardio training due to the misconception that cardio just involves running. This is far from the case, and there are some guiding rules that should always be observed whenever you train cardio.

Always Take Time to Warm Up

Gabriella Aston from Sano Physiotherapy Leeds says that: “Regardless of the exercise, it’s important to always warm-up before performing any rigorous activity. Warming up primes the muscles for activity and increases blood flow and improves muscle elasticity, which improves muscle exertion and helps prevent injury. It’s also important that you know the type of stretch to perform. Dynamic stretches are ideal for warming up, while static stretches are ideal for cooling down. Dynamic stretches often mimic the movements you’re about to do. This is why it’s common to see swimmers do shoulder rotations and for fighters to shadowbox right before a sporting event.”

Emphasize Form Over Volume

Another rule that applies to both cardio and resistance training is that proper technique should be prioritized over volume. This is as much a matter of establishing good habits as it is a matter of preventing injury. A poorly-executed exercise will not only hinder your progress because you won’t be hitting the right muscles, it may also cause injury when your muscles don’t move in the manner they should be moving. When this happens, the weight of the object is forcing your muscle to overstretch, which can potentially cause a sprain or tear a ligament.

Variety in Your Routine

The body adapts to the strain it is subjected to. Your body will eventually become strong enough, to the point that your routine may no longer provide adequate muscle growth and fat-burning. This is why all fitness plans have a progression. You can start with light running before moving to more intense cardio alternatives. You may even want to incorporate jump ropes in your routines. 

Hydrate Properly

Too much water during a workout can throw off your breathing cycle, while too little water runs the risk of dehydration and even loss of consciousness. Ideally, you should drink seven to 10 ounces of water every 10 to 20 minutes of your exercise session.

Know When to Stop

While the whole point of working out is to challenge yourself, it’s important to listen to your body for signs of sustaining an injury.  Pain after a workout session is normal, and is usually just a matter of delayed muscle soreness onset. Sharp pain during an exercise session is often an indicator of an injury, which means you should stop immediately and see a doctor if the pain persists or increases. 

These first few rules will form your habits as you continue your fitness journey. The best time to establish good habits is during your early stage. Remember that it’s easier to do things right the first time.