How to establish a consistent cardio routine
Plus, how to complete cardio when you have back pain.
In the clinic, I often get asked, “How often should I exercise?”
For cardiovascular health and longevity benefits, the American Heart Association recommends for you to complete 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes vigorous activity each week.
What is considered moderate and what is vigorous? According to the CDC, “As a rule of thumb: If you can talk and sing without puffing at all, you're exercising at a low level. If you can comfortably talk, but not sing, you're doing moderate intensity activity. If you can't say more than a few words without gasping for breath, you're exercising at a vigorous intensity.” You determine the intensity of your cardio based on your ability to breathe and talk/sing during the exercise. There are many factors that determine low, moderate or vigorous intensity for each person. What may be high for me might be low or moderate for you. For example, I walk my dog every day. I am used to the activity, and I am easily able to complete my walk with low intensity. I typically walk on level ground that is paved. When I do the same walk but on a trail with roots and hills, that walk becomes moderate to vigorous depending on the hills and terrain. When I walk with a friend who is taller than me and tends to walk faster than my regular pace, the walk is more vigorous.
Exercise intensity is different than high-impact and low-impact activity. High-impact means that you are creating impact on your bones and joints, and it implies that there is some point in time during the exercise where your feet are coming off the ground at the same time. Low-impact is generally gentler with less jolting or jarring to the joints.
Some examples of high impact activities include running, jumping, gymnastics, dancing, tennis, and Cross Fit programs. Typically, HIIT (high intensity interval training) tends to be high impact as well. High impact can be beneficial for improving bone density (if you don’t have osteoporosis), for providing a quick workout if you are trying to burn calories, and for providing that moderate to vigorous intensity.
Some examples of low impact activities include cycling, rowing, walking, yoga, Pilates, and swimming. Many high impact activities can be modified to a low impact activity if you have osteoporosis or if you may be at risk of or recovering from injury. Low impact activities can provide low, moderate, or vigorous intensity.
How do you decide on an activity when you have back pain? If pain limits your activity, and you are not able to tolerate vigorous activity, then you would need to complete 150 minutes or more of moderate intensity to get the best benefit for your cardiovascular system and for longevity. 150 minutes per week ends up being just over 21 minutes per day. Research has shown that the benefit of cardio is the same whether you complete the exercise all at once or spread it out throughout the day. If your back pain occurs after 15 minutes of walking or other exercise, then you could complete 2 bouts of exercise for each for around 11 minutes per day in order to keep your pain at a manageable level. Stay mindful that the exercise does need to be at least moderate intensity for the benefit to your cardiovascular system.
Picking an exercise that you like and that gives you joy is very important. Realize that you do not have to do the same exercise every day. Adding variety to your movement helps keep all of your muscles strong and balanced without overuse or repetitive strain. You can exercise while sitting in a chair or while lying in the bed and get a moderately intense workout as well if standing and walking are not accessible to you. Remember the guideline for moderate intensity and apply that to your movement/exercise activity for 150 minutes per week. Your heart will thank you for it.
Take good care,
Sharon