Cardiovascular exercise is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. It helps you lose fat, improve your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduce your risk of developing diabetes, and much more. There are so many ways you can get your heart rate up and sweat for good. But how much cardio is the right amount? And should you be doing it every day? Let’s take a closer look at whether or not you should do cardio every day and why that might not be the best option for everyone.
Is Cardio Every Day Bad?
Yes, you should not do cardio every day. Cardio is best done in moderation, in addition to regular resistance training. When you do too much cardio, it can lead to excess muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and prolonged recovery times. High-quality research suggests frequent cardio may even be counterproductive for weight loss and health goals.
Why Shouldn’t You Do Cardio Everyday?
1. Cardio Can Be Dangerous For Your Joints
Excessive cardio has been shown to increase joint damage in the knees and hips. This is due to the pressure and impacts the body experiences when running. Running is the most common form of cardio, and there is a potential for significant joint damage when you do it too much. If you are doing a lot of cardio, you might notice pain in your knees or hips. This can signify that you are doing too much and you need to rest and reduce the amount of running you do. There is no simple rule as to how much is too much. However, if you are experiencing pain, you should probably reduce the amount of running you do.
2. Everyday Cardio Is Incredibly Stressful On Your Body
Excessive cardio can lead to an increased risk of injury, especially in the knees and ankles. It can also affect your overall health by increasing your risk for various diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancers. To understand why cardio can be so stressful on your body, it’s important to know how it works. Your body burns fat and calories by creating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is a form of energy. When your body has burned all the fat cells, it then burns muscles and proteins. When you perform excessive cardio, you are burning fat, proteins, and potentially even muscle if you don’t eat enough protein. This is why people who do cardio every day can lose their muscles and get very skinny.
3. It’s Incredibly Difficult To Focus On Cardio Every Day.
If you do cardio every day, you quickly lose your enthusiasm for the activity. For many people, running is boring and monotonous, especially if you do it at the same time every day. A lack of enthusiasm for your cardio routine can negatively impact your progress and make it difficult to get any results from your workouts. If you do the same cardio routine every day, you’ll get bored quickly and be less likely to push yourself as hard as you should. To stay motivated and break the monotony of your cardio routine, you should vary the type of activities you do. One day you can go for a long run, and the next day you can go for a short bike ride. By varying the types of cardio you do, you can keep your workouts interesting and avoid getting bored.
4. You Burn Out Quicker Doing Cardio Every Day.
Many people use cardio to burn fat, assuming it is the best way to reduce body weight. The problem is that when you do too much cardio, you burn muscle instead of fat. To understand why this happens, it’s important to know that your body has two types of fat. The first type is called “bad” or visceral fat. This is the type of fat that clogs your arteries and leads to heart disease and other diseases. Bad fat is easy for your body to burn. You can get rid of it by doing a few regular exercises, such as walking for 30 minutes per day. You can also do “good” cardio such as cycling, swimming, or running to burn “bad” fat. However, you have to be careful not to do too much since this can result in burning too much muscle and not enough fat.
5. You May Lose Muscle If You Do Cardio Everyday
Regularly doing cardio can cause your body to lose muscle. Excessive exercise leads to a condition called “exercise-induced muscle damage.” This means that your body is breaking down muscle tissue and not recovering it properly. To avoid losing muscle, you should do both cardio and strength training. Strength training is important because it helps your body to build muscle. Many people think that cardio is the best way to lose fat. While it is true that you can burn fat doing cardio, you will also lose muscle. By doing a combination of cardio and strength training, you will help to keep your body healthy and able to perform at its best. You will also help to avoid losing muscle.
When Should You Do Cardio Everyday?
- If you are an athlete or a very active person, cardio every day might be a good thing. Doing cardio every day will help you stay fit, prevent overuse injuries, and improve your performance. When done correctly, cardio every day can greatly improve your overall health and fitness, but it does have one downside:
- Boredom For many people, doing the same thing every day can get extremely boring, which can lead to them giving up on their exercise and diet plans after just a few weeks. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can combat this issue. The first thing that you should do is switch up your types of cardio. Cycling one day, jogging the next, walking the following day, etc., will help you avoid the dreaded boredom.
- That being said, if you want to reap the most benefits from daily cardio, you should aim to do it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Doing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach will allow you to burn the fattest out of all of your daily activities.
How Much Cardio Is The Right Amount?
- As you can see, there are a lot of gray areas when it comes to the amount of cardio you should be doing. To determine how many times a week you should be doing cardio, you need to consider a few different factors.
- First, you should take a look at your current fitness level and set fitness goals. If you are already fit and have set fitness goals, you should be doing cardio 3-5 times per week. If you are just starting, you should aim to do cardio 3-5 times per week as well, but rest assured that you will see results much faster than the more fit folks.
- In addition to your current fitness level and fitness goals, you should also consider your overall health. If you have a preexisting condition or are at risk of developing one, you should consult your doctor before beginning a cardio program.
- Your doctor may recommend some modifications to your plan or suggest that you avoid cardio altogether.
The Benefits Of Doing Cardio Every Day
- As you have seen, there are several benefits associated with doing cardio daily. Let’s discuss those benefits in a bit more detail. First and foremost, daily cardio will help you lose fat. When you break down your body fat, it gets turned into energy, which is what you are burning when you do cardio.
- More importantly, burning fat will help you avoid having to burn muscle, which is important for everyone but is especially crucial for those who are older or have an active lifestyle.
- Daily cardio will also help you improve your cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular health refers to the health of your heart and blood vessels.
- Daily cardio will increase your heart rate, which will strengthen your heart and blood vessels and lower your blood pressure. Daily cardio will also help you improve your overall health, reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and reduce your risk of suffering from a stroke. Also, doing cardio daily can help you sleep better, improve your mood, and reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancers.
- Lastly, daily cardio will help you maintain your muscle and strength while losing fat.
The Bottom Line
When done correctly, cardio can be an extremely valuable part of any exercise program. It can help you lose fat, improve your cardiovascular health, and much more. However, you should know that there are many benefits associated with doing cardio every day, but there are also some downsides to consider. Daily cardio can slow down your metabolism, which will make it harder for you to lose fat and reach your fitness goals.
