Cardiovascular exercise, commonly known as cardio, is a type of workout that focuses on increasing your heart rate and improving your cardiovascular health. While it’s an essential part of any fitness routine, many people wonder what would happen if they only did cardio and skipped strength training. Would it be enough to achieve their fitness goals, or would they be missing out on crucial benefits?
The truth is, while cardio is great for burning calories, improving endurance, and strengthening the heart and lungs, it’s not enough to achieve a well-rounded fitness routine. Neglecting strength training can lead to muscle loss, lack of balance, and a slower metabolism. Keep reading to learn more about what happens if you only do cardio and why it’s essential to incorporate other types of exercise into your routine.
What Happens If I Only Do Cardio?
Cardiovascular exercise, also known as cardio, is any type of physical activity that elevates your heart rate and increases your breathing rate. Doing cardio is an excellent way to improve your overall health, burn calories, and reduce stress. However, if you only do cardio and neglect other forms of exercise, you may be missing out on some important benefits.
1. Limited Muscle Development
Cardiovascular exercise is great for your heart and lungs, but it doesn’t do much to build muscle. If you only do cardio, you may find that you have limited muscle development. This can be a problem if you’re looking to tone up or build strength.
One way to combat this is to include some strength training exercises in your workout routine. Strength training exercises like weight lifting, push-ups, and squats can help you build muscle and improve your overall body composition.
2. Increased Risk of Injury
Another potential problem with doing only cardio is that it can increase your risk of injury. Running, for example, can be hard on your joints, especially if you’re doing it on hard surfaces like pavement or concrete.
To reduce your risk of injury, it’s important to include a variety of exercises in your workout routine. This can help you avoid overuse injuries and keep your body balanced.
3. Slower Metabolism
Cardiovascular exercise can help you burn calories, but it may not be enough to keep your metabolism running at its best. This is because cardio doesn’t do much to build muscle, and muscle is what helps to keep your metabolism revved up.
To keep your metabolism running at its best, it’s important to include some strength training exercises in your workout routine. This can help you build muscle and improve your overall body composition.
4. Boredom
Another potential problem with doing only cardio is that it can get boring. Doing the same type of exercise day after day can lead to boredom and a lack of motivation.
To avoid boredom and keep things interesting, it’s important to mix up your workout routine. This can include trying new types of cardio, like swimming or cycling, or incorporating other forms of exercise, like yoga or Pilates.
5. Limited Functional Fitness
Functional fitness is the ability to perform everyday tasks with ease and without pain or injury. If you only do cardio, you may find that your functional fitness is limited.
To improve your functional fitness, it’s important to include a variety of exercises in your workout routine. This can help you build strength, improve your balance and flexibility, and reduce your risk of injury.
6. Reduced Bone Density
Cardiovascular exercise is great for your heart and lungs, but it may not be enough to keep your bones strong. This is because cardio doesn’t do much to stimulate bone growth.
To keep your bones strong, it’s important to include some weight-bearing exercises in your workout routine. This can include exercises like walking, jogging, or weight lifting.
7. Limited Flexibility
Another potential problem with doing only cardio is that it can lead to limited flexibility. Cardiovascular exercise doesn’t do much to improve your flexibility, which can be a problem if you’re looking to improve your range of motion or reduce your risk of injury.
To improve your flexibility, it’s important to include some stretching exercises in your workout routine. This can help you improve your range of motion and reduce your risk of injury.
8. Limited Mental Benefits
Cardiovascular exercise is great for your physical health, but it may not do much to improve your mental health. Some studies have found that other forms of exercise, like yoga or Pilates, may be more effective at reducing stress and improving mood.
To get the most mental benefits from your workout, it’s important to include a variety of exercises in your routine. This can help you reduce stress, boost your mood, and improve your overall well-being.
9. Limited Overall Fitness
If you only do cardio, you may find that your overall fitness is limited. Cardiovascular exercise is great for your heart and lungs, but it doesn’t do much to improve other aspects of fitness, like strength, flexibility, and balance.
To improve your overall fitness, it’s important to include a variety of exercises in your workout routine. This can help you build strength, improve your flexibility and balance, and reduce your risk of injury.
10. Lack of Challenge
If you only do cardio, you may find that your workout routine lacks challenge. Doing the same type of exercise day after day can lead to a plateau in your fitness level and a lack of motivation.
To keep your workout routine challenging and interesting, it’s important to mix things up. This can include trying new types of cardio, like interval training or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or incorporating other forms of exercise, like yoga or Pilates.
Benefits of Including Other Forms of Exercise
While cardiovascular exercise is great for your health, including other forms of exercise in your workout routine can have some important benefits.
1. Improved Muscle Development
Strength training exercises can help you build muscle, which can improve your overall body composition and help you achieve your fitness goals.
2. Reduced Risk of Injury
Including a variety of exercises in your workout routine can help you avoid overuse injuries and keep your body balanced.
3. Increased Metabolism
Strength training exercises can help you build muscle and improve your overall body composition, which can help to keep your metabolism revved up.
4. Increased Motivation
Mixing up your workout routine can help you avoid boredom and stay motivated to exercise.
5. Improved Functional Fitness
Including a variety of exercises in your workout routine can help you improve your strength, balance, and flexibility, which can improve your overall functional fitness.
6. Improved Bone Density
Weight-bearing exercises can help to stimulate bone growth and improve your overall bone density.
7. Improved Flexibility
Stretching exercises can help you improve your range of motion and reduce your risk of injury.
8. Improved Mental Benefits
Including a variety of exercises in your workout routine can help you reduce stress, boost your mood, and improve your overall well-being.
9. Improved Overall Fitness
Including a variety of exercises in your workout routine can help you improve your overall fitness level and achieve your fitness goals.
10. Increased Challenge
Mixing up your workout routine can help you keep things challenging and interesting, which can help you stay motivated to exercise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I only do cardio?
If you only do cardio, you may lose weight, but you may also be missing out on other important health benefits. Cardiovascular exercise is great for improving cardiovascular health, increasing endurance, and burning calories. However, it doesn’t do much for building muscle mass or improving bone density. Without strength training, your body may lose muscle mass, leading to a decrease in metabolism and an increased risk of injury.
On the other hand, if you are a beginner, overweight or obese, or just looking to improve your cardiovascular health, starting with cardio is a great idea. Just make sure to include strength training in your routine as well, to prevent muscle loss and ensure a balanced workout.
How much cardio should I do per week?
The amount of cardio you should do per week depends on your fitness goals and current fitness level. According to the American Heart Association, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week, or a combination of both. This can be broken down into 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, or three 25-minute sessions per week.
However, if your goal is weight loss, you may need to do more than the minimum recommendation. Additionally, if you’re training for a specific event or sport, your cardio requirements may vary. It’s always best to consult with a fitness professional to determine the right amount of cardio for your individual needs.
Can you lose weight by just doing cardio?
Yes, you can lose weight by just doing cardio, but it may not be the most effective way to do so. Cardiovascular exercise burns calories, which can lead to weight loss. However, strength training can also help you lose weight by building muscle mass and increasing metabolism. In addition, a combination of cardio and strength training can lead to greater fat loss and improved overall fitness.
If you’re looking to lose weight, it’s important to create a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you consume. This can be achieved through a combination of diet and exercise. Adding strength training to your routine can help you build muscle mass and increase metabolism, leading to more efficient weight loss.
Is cardio enough for a full body workout?
Cardio alone is not enough for a full body workout. While cardiovascular exercise is great for improving cardiovascular health and burning calories, it doesn’t do much for building muscle mass or improving bone density. A full body workout should include strength training exercises that target all major muscle groups, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, and pull-ups.
Strength training helps build muscle mass, increase metabolism, and improve bone density, all of which are important for overall health and fitness. By combining strength training with cardio, you can achieve a full body workout that provides a range of health benefits.
What are the benefits of adding strength training to my cardio routine?
Adding strength training to your cardio routine can provide a range of health benefits. Strength training helps build muscle mass, increase metabolism, improve bone density, and prevent injury. In addition, a combination of strength training and cardio can lead to greater fat loss and improved overall fitness.
Strength training also helps improve functional fitness, making it easier to perform everyday activities like lifting groceries or carrying children. By incorporating strength training into your routine, you can achieve a balanced workout that provides a range of health benefits.
What Happens When You ONLY Do Cardio
In summary, doing just cardio may not be the best approach to achieving your fitness goals. While cardio is great for burning calories and improving cardiovascular health, it may not be enough to build muscle, increase strength, or improve overall body composition.
It’s important to incorporate a variety of exercises into your routine, including strength training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), to maximize your results. Strength training helps to increase muscle mass and improve bone density, while HIIT can improve both cardio and muscular endurance.
Additionally, focusing solely on cardio can lead to a plateau in your progress over time. Your body adapts to the same type of exercise, making it less effective at burning calories and improving fitness.
To truly achieve your fitness goals, it’s important to incorporate a well-rounded exercise routine that includes cardio, strength training, and HIIT. This will not only improve your physical health but also help you feel more energized, confident, and happy in your daily life.
