Clicks BroNation: Why it is important to include cardio in your workout

Pumping iron is great for building lean muscle – but along with strength training, it is vital you also get cardiovascular exercise, more commonly called cardio. Known as ‘aerobic exercise’, cardio is any activity that gets your heart pumping harder for an extended period, says Cape Town biokineticist Avenish Pursad. It makes you breathe faster and deeper, maximising the amount of oxygen in your blood, and delivering it to the rest of your body so it can function optimally. It also prompts the release of endorphins: natural painkillers that can boost mood and increase a sense of wellbeing, says Klerksdorp biokineticist Isabeau van Heerden.

Cardio comes in countless forms, from walking, jogging, hiking, cycling, swimming, rowing and playing sport, to working out on treadmills, steppers, ellipticals and rowing machines, or simply doing home chores such as gardening or mowing the lawn. “Take your pick,” Van Heerden says. “Any activity that increases your heart rate and breathing.”

Before starting cardio...

Take care to start with small steps if you have been inactive for a while; and if you have a chronic health condition, get your doctor’s permission before you start, says Pursad. They may advise alternative forms of cardio – for example, if you have arthritis, swimming or aquatic exercise can give you a cardio workout without straining your joints the way jogging does.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity a week – around 30 minutes a day spread over five days. It can benefit every organ:

Your heart

Regular cardio activity can lower your resting blood pressure and heart rate, so your heart doesn’t need to work unnecessarily hard all the time. It can also improve your levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ‘good’ cholesterol and lower your levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ‘bad’ cholesterol, which can lead to less build-up of plaque in your arteries that can block them and cause a heart attack or stroke, says Van Heerden. 

Your lungs

Cardio strengthens the muscles around the lungs, including the diaphragm and muscles between the ribs, says Pursad. “This helps the lungs function better. As physical fitness improves, the body becomes more efficient in getting oxygen into the bloodstream and transporting it to the muscles.”

Your brain

Cardio can protect your brain as you age. A 2019 study in the journal Neurology found it may reduce risk of dementia at any age. Other benefits can range from improving thinking ability and memory to decreasing the chances of a stroke and of developing Alzheimer’s disease, says Pursad.

Your muscles

By working your heart and other muscles, cardio increases oxygen supply to your entire body, so all muscles work harder and more effectively. In time, regular cardio allows muscles to adapt to a greater workload, making activities feel easier, says Van Heerden. 

Your skin

Cardio leads to better blood flow to your skin, supplying it with oxygen and essential nutrients and effectively removing waste products and toxins. This contributes to a healthier, clearer complexion and can help reduce signs of ageing. By countering stress, cardio may also help control chronic skin conditions like eczema, says Pursad.

Your digestion

Cardio even makes the muscles of your gut that drive peristalsis (the movement of food through your intestinal tract) work harder. That said, it’s important to wait one or two hours after a meal and 30 minutes after a snack before exercising, or you may experience cramping or light-headedness. “Keep to moderate intensity movement,” says Van Heerden. Cardio can also improve blood sugar control, reducing your chance of developing Type 2 diabetes. A 2017 study in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity suggests cardio may also help regulate and improve your gut microbiome, “enrich microflora diversity” and “potentially contribute to reducing weight, obesity-associated pathologies, and gastrointestinal disorders”.

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