What Cardio is Really doing for you!

Cardio, Cardio, Cardio. We have all heard it and know its good for you, but why? What is the difference between talking a casual walk and stepping up your pace?
To begin, you may notice that when you start to move your body and exercise, your body responds by increasing your heart rate and  you begin breathing faster and more deeply. This not only maximizes that amount of oxygen in your blood, but also increases blood flow to your muscles and then back to your lungs. This increase in heart rate and blood flow brings more oxygen to your muscles and carries away waste, such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide. Your body also increases endorphins, which is a natural pain killer that gives you that sense of well being that is often felt after exercising. This can help you reduce the tension felt in your body associated with anxiety and promote relaxation, which we could all use a little more of! 
​Cardio also can help you straighten your heart. This does not mean that your heart has to beat faster, but pump blood through your system more effectively and do that whole oxygenation thing. On top of that, "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) is elevated during cardio exercise, which lowers your "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) and can result in less build up in your arteries. Since heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, why wouldn't we want to take control and prevent that silent killer!
Now you may be asking what is the magic number of minutes we should be raising our heart rate? The health and fitness world has agreed that at least 30 minutes a day of regular aerobic activity is what your body needs to reap the benefits. This is easily achieved in all of our classes at the Body Loft, but this also includes jogging, swimming, biking, skiing, and many other Tahoe activities! Just remember you can always start small and build from there, like booking a one on one training to get your comfortable using the TRX and training or trying on of our Basic classes. Also all of the exercises we use at the Body Loft can be modified to help you gain the most out of your exercise time! See you at the Loft!