Building Your Workouts

(BLC expert talks about cardio)

If you're new to cardio exercise and you're not sure how much to do, here is a fitness guide to get you started:

* Start with just 10 to 15 minutes a day on any cardio gym equipment (treadmill, stair stepper, elliptical) or cardio activity such as walking or swimming. If that seems too easy, you could immediately up it to 30 minutes. Otherwise, stay at 10 to 15 minutes a day for a week and then increase by 5 to 10 minutes each week, up to 30 minutes.
* Start with 3 to 5 workouts each week.
* Once you are up to 30 minutes, you can maintain that level or continue to increase up to 60 minutes. If you've worked your way up to the point where you are capable of doing 60 minutes, you don't have to do that amount every time. If time or motivation dictates that you do less, listen!
* A good long-term goal is 200 to 300 minutes of cardio each week. Another goal is aiming for approximately 300 to 500 calories per day burned through exercise.
* You can also break up your workouts, and they will still be just as effective for calorie burning. Three workouts of 10 minutes each day has been shown to be just as effective as 30 straight minutes if both are done at the same pace. And, if you make your schedule work for you, you increase the probability of being able to stick with your exercise long-term.