What’s the minimum amount of cardio I need to do a week?

….asked one of my, shall we say less naturally enthusiastic clients recently.
Still, a good question and to be fair one that I dare say the majority of people would be inclined to lean towards.

Now if you’re interested in the answer the odds are that you’re probably not training for a marathon or some equally exhausting goal but rather, what you need to do to maintain health and soak up those other benefits that will help keep you out of the nursing home.

Australia’s national exercise guidelines  suggest accumulating 150 to 300 minutes of “moderate intensity” physical activity, or 75 to 150 minutes of “vigorous intensity” physical activity, each week (or an equivalent combination of both)

So we’re talking 30-60 min/day, 5 days a week of moderate intensity or 15-30 min/day, 5 days a week of vigorous.

What do they mean by moderate? Well not a power shop around Erina Fair or walking back from the Pub, as valiant as these endeavours are.
Moderate means you are putting in some effort. You should know your heart rate is definitely a notch or two higher than watching the Bachelor finale. You could carry on a conversation, but it would be interspersed with some noticeable breathing.
We’re talking a decent paced continuous walk. Riding (the push variety) at a good pace. Swimming at a consistent pace, not intervals. And sports that require some running ie Netball, tennis, basketball… sorry golfers.

Vigorous Intensity? It’s fairly obvious. It’s uncomfortable. You are really conscience of sucking in that oxygen stuff that suddenly feels like a rare commodity.
If you’re exercising with a mate, you probably want them to shut up if they’re talking, as formulating words will distract from the all-encompassing effort you are making to draw in enough air. That’s vigorous.

For those that don’t love the higher intensity cardio side of things let me let you in on a little secret.
Nobody does! Well, truth told there are one or two loonies running around out there that actually do enjoy that lung searing sensation, while their heart attempts to punch a hole through their chest. But for the most part, people don’t. They do however enjoy the feeling that it brings after you finish. Knowing that your heart just like any other muscle just got stronger because you worked it. The feeling of knowing that you are actually not just healthy, but fit. Knowing you could run around with your kids, in the off chance they put their phone down. It’s the feeling that stays with you the other 23.5 hrs of the day that makes it worthwhile for many.

Which is the way to go now that you’ve had an epiphany and are about to commit to your new 5 day/week cardio program?
In an ideal world I would say a combination of both moderate and higher intensity exercise each week is the way to go.
In reality, if you just hate high intensity cardio or are starting from a lowish fitness base, leaping straight into vigorous cardio will probably not be a love match for you. Consistency trumps all! So do the type of exercise you know you can do day in day out. Week after week, year after year. But start it now.

If you have any questions regarding this blog or some other related topic feel free to reach out and I’ll get back to you asap