Head to any gym in America and you will see the most populated area of the gym being the cardio area. Countless people are seen performing long and boring hours on the treadmill thinking that it is going to drop the fat they desire. They will head to the gym 5-7 days a week and sometimes twice a day to perform their traditional cardio. They feel they are on the path to success, when in fact they are on the path to disaster. First-and-for-most it should go without saying that their time would be better spent strength training, building muscle, thus raising their metabolism and losing fat. However, for right now I am going to avoid delving into the benefits of strength and sprint training and rather focus on the reasons why not to perform traditional cardio.
Back before I knew what I know now, I'll admit that I too performed traditional cardio. I hated every minute of it as it was just flat out boring, but I kept going right along because that is what the media had told me. Regardless of how I felt physically I felt an obligation to do it through the guilt that was instilled upon me by outside forces. All the while during this time, I would get weaker, I would grow tired faster during the day, and I would get beat down by stress. Thankfully, in my continuing search for knowledge my ways have changed. I will never again step foot on a cardio machine for the rest of my life, yet I know I will be healthier for it.
Reasons to Avoid Steady State Cardio
- Cortisol-Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands in the body. Frequently called the stress hormone, it is used in one capacity during the 'fight or flight' response in the body, elevating awareness amongst other benefits. However, if cortisol levels are elevated to long, much like can happen from long steady state cardio, a cascade of problems car arise. Increased blood pressure, decreased immune function, a lose of muscle tissue, a decrease in thyroid function, and elevated fat levels are just a few of the problems. It should already be clear to you why you should do all the things in your power to keep cortisol levels low.
- Joint Complications-If you have ever performed frequent steady state cardio, you are probably more than aware of the pain it can bring. The fixed path of motion on a lot of machines can create significant muscular imbalances and cause a great deal of wear and tear on the joints of the ankles, knees, and hips. Running can lead to many ailments, one being a common condition called IT band syndrome. The IT band, or iliotibial band is a tissue that runs down the lateral side of the thigh. It begins at the pelvis and runs down to the tibia, and during running, can undergo constant friction with a part of the femur. This friction can lead to inflammation in the area and thus cause lateral knee pain.
- Muscular Complications- Constant traditional running can also produce muscular problems, which can lead to strains, tears, and more joint issues. As a result of frequent and long running, the hamstrings become shortened and tightened and glute function declines due to a high volume of knee flexion and a lack of hip extension involved during running. This produces a length/tension imbalance with the lower back around the pelvis, and thus the arrival of lower back pain(It should be noted that this is not the only reason for lower back pain).
- It's Boring-Anyone who has spent anytime doing traditional cardio knows what I'm talking about here. Spending up to an hour or more running in place makes my mind go numb. No amount of your favorite tunes or an awesome movie playing in the 'cardio theater' do anything do dull the pain. My first bit of advise to you, is to move all forms of running/cardio outside. Why spend the free time you have not in your office inside of another building? Head outside and enjoy the fresh air. If it is rainy, wait till it lets up. If it is cold, bundle up. If it is hot, wait till later in the day when it begins to cool down.
Bottom line, unless your a marathon runner, avoid traditional cardio.
With all that said, I do not denounce low intensity cardio all together, what matters is how low of an intensity we are talking about. 45 minutes at 65% of your target heart rate is a big no, 30 minutes of a brisk walk however gets two thumbs up.
Till Next Time,
Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com
