Cardio exercises are great for your fitness and weight loss. It burns calories and will help you tone muscles at the same time. However, you can’t just focus on this type of workout. It could be time to switch up your cardio, and here are reasons why.
Your Body Is Getting Used to It
Watch out for your body getting used to your workout. One of the first signs is your muscles don’t ache as much afterwards.
A little pain is considered good for a workout, depending on the location and type of pain. It should be in the muscles that you’ve used during the workout. When your body gets used to a workout, it gains no benefit from it.
Your Joints Ache
Do you regularly feel aches in your joints, especially your ankles, knees and hips? This is a clear sign that your workout is doing you no favours at all.
You need to switch to something that is lower intensity and easier on your joints, so you avoid any adverse effects. If you still want to do some cardio, consider swimming to help support the body.
You Need to Get More
You finish a workout and you already want to go in for more.
This shouldn’t be the feeling when you’ve done a good quality workout. It shouts one of two things. You’re either not getting enough while in the gym, so need to switch it up. Or you’re addicted, and need to switch it up. Do some strength training the next time you’re in the gym and then see how you feel.
You Want to Skip It All the Time
Instead of wanting more, you actually want less. The thought of going to the gym or going for a run makes you feel awful. You resent the idea and just want the day to go really slowly so it doesn’t have to happen.
This is a sign that your body and mind are getting bored of your workouts and you really need to make a change. You should enjoy it all the time.
You Don’t Put the Effort In
Like wanting to skip it, you could find that you’re not actually putting that much effort in anymore.
It’s a sign that you’re getting bored or complacent. There’s no point exercising if you’re not going to be bothered about actually doing it. Instead of walking out of the gym, try a machine that you’ve never been on before or talk to a personal training about adding something new and exciting that you want to try your hardest at.
Your Weight Is Dropping Too Much
While you want to lose weight, you need to do is safely. If you exercise too much, especially cardio, you will lose weight so quickly that it isn’t healthy or sustainable.
You will also drop your calorie intake so much that your body doesn’t have enough fuel for the whole day. Switch a cardio day for a strength training day and help your body build up the muscles again.