Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!

Ooops, what I meant was, CARDIO, CARDIO, CARDIO!

Fitness encompasses three major components, cardio training, strength training, and of course stretching which includes balance and flexibility aspects.

Sooooo, let's talk about cardio baby, let's talk about you and me, let's talk about - CARDIO!

Why cardio?

Some benefits of cardio exercise include:
Weight loss

Stronger heart and lungs
Increased bone density
Reduced stress

Increased libido - yesssssssss
Reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer
Temporary relief from depression and anxiety
More confidence about how you feel and how you look - like a sexy thingy
Better sleep
More energy - everywhere
Setting a good example for your kids to stay active as they get older

Why cardio?

"You feel energized, confident, proud of yourself and ready to take on the world."

What kind of cardio?

A variety of cardio exercises:

Walking

Dance

Running

Elliptical machine

Rowing

Skiing

Kickboxing

Biking

Swimming

Aerobics

Step classes

Martial arts

Spin classes

Etc...

When cardio?

Cardio can be done whenever, wherever - cardio is the basic need to move our bodies. Our bodies are made to move it, move it!

Being active does enhance our quality of life, making our lives better.

"Moving around increases blood flow to our muscles, strengthens the heart and lungs and teaches the heart to work more efficiently. Not only that, when you exercise you set a good example for your kids to do the same, which could mean a better future for them."

Feeling good is looking good.

"Appearance is important. That's why I take a shower every day, make sure my clothes match and check that I don't have anything green stuck in my teeth. But I worry that we've gotten so obsessed with how we look that we no longer care about how we feel. If you look at the benefits listed above, all of them translate into feeling good now and in the future."

How much cardio?

Suggested 20 minutes of high intensity cardio 3 times a week OR 3-5 days of cardio for about 30-60 minutes.

I recommend cardio every day.

Yes, every day. You eat every day, you sleep every day, you communicate with others, love, etc.. every day. Therefore exercise every day isn't really a huge sacrifice to a healthy life. However, this doesn't translate into running a marathon each weekend, followed by three hours of intense physical activity, daily. Take a walk in the evening, join a gym for lunch hour fun, go for a bike ride while the sun is rising in the early am; add that much needed physical aspect into your daily routine - only benefits will follow.

IE: This week my physical bliss schedule looks like this:

Monday - Run 50-60 minutes. Weights. Teach a stretch n strength class, and two interval step classes.

Tuesday - Run 60 minutes. Bike or elliptical 20 minutes.

Wednesday - Run 50-60 minutes. Weights. Teach stretch n strength class, a stability ball class and a bliss class.

Thursday - Run 60 minutes. Elliptical 30 minutes.

Friday - Walk 60 minutes.

Saturday - Run 60 minutes fast. Weights.

Sunday - Bike ride or walk 60+ minutes.

Good luck.

And...

remember to HAVE FUN!