30 Days of Self Healing – Day 12
Work on your cardiovascular system today. Get your heart rate up and blood flowing by doing aerobic activities such as walking, running, biking, swimming, and jumping. The faster you perform the activity, or the longer you perform it, the more calories you burn. A misconception of cardio workouts is that you have to work at a certain pace to reap the calorie-burning benefits. This is not true. If you move at a moderate pace, you will burn calories and help your heart. Over- exertion only leads to injury and burnout. To know if you’re pushing yourself too hard, take the “talk test.” Try to talk while working out; if you can’t, it’s time to slow down. Doing cardio activity at high intensity for too long can tear your muscles down and actually make you more flabby.
In order to avoid burnout, progress gradually but steadily in your aerobic workout. You should, however, do as much as you can and increase your time and activity intensity every day. The great thing about cardio workouts is that there is something for everybody. If you like the outdoors, you can walk, run, or ride a bike. If you prefer the comfort of home, get on the treadmill while watching TV or pop in an aerobics video. If you like the gym, there are all sorts of cardio classes: step aerobics, cardio kickboxing, and low-impact aerobics. And if those aren’t your thing, then try a class that is as far from traditional as you can get like Zumba. Do at least 30 minutes of cardio work today. Over time, increase speed, intensity (level of effort), and time as your cardiovascular system improves.
