Why Everyone Needs a Good Cardio Workout
Cardiovascular, or cardio workouts are very important in any exercise regimen. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week, usually broken up into 30-minute increments five times a week.
Cardio workouts include any physical activities that increase your heart rate for a continuous period of time. The longer you are able to sustain the workout, the more beneficial it will be. Cardio can be hard work, but there are plenty of options for beginners and exercise fiends alike. Going for a walk, swimming, jogging, playing sports, or taking a dance class can count as cardio.
Weight Loss and Management
To burn actual fat and drop pounds, your body has to work a lot harder than it did to gain the weight. Typically, it takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to burn just one pound. Making changes to your diet can help, but adding a good cardio workout to your regimen can make all the difference. A cardiovascular workout burns more calories and fat than any other kind of exercise. Just ten minutes a day can improve the likelihood of dropping excess weight and keeping it off.
Heart Health
A good cardio workout routine can improve your heart health exponentially. Cardiovascular exercise trains your heart and lungs, and makes them stronger. Regular cardiovascular exercise improves circulation and lowers blood pressure. As being overweight can greatly improve your risk of heart problems, the weight loss than can occur with a good cardio workout will also greatly improve your heart health.
Increased Metabolism
Cardiovascular exercise greatly boosts your metabolism. This is because your body needs lots of energy to keep up with the demands of your working muscles. The higher your heart rate, the greater the number of calories burned. What’s more, even when you’re done with your workout the higher metabolism lasts for several hours. It’s one reason you seem to have more energy after working out.
Stress Relief
Cardio workouts can release stress too. A treadmill, elliptical machine, or stationary bicycle is a great way to take out your frustrations and release tension. Running is often a popular outlet for stress. Cardio isn’t just an outlet for pent-up frustrations, though. A good cardiovascular workout can release feel-good endorphins into your system. People who get regular cardiovascular exercise tend to be in a better mood.
It Can Be Fun
With so many different options, finding a cardio workout that suits you is easy. Many of them are even a lot of fun. Typically, if you find a fun way to get in your cardio workout, you won’t even notice how hard you are working. Playing organized sports is a fun way to get a great cardio workout. Look also for jazzercise or aerobics classes that are high paced and beginner friendly. Try a dance or Zumba class for a really fun and very effective cardio workout.
Incorporating a good cardio workout into your healthy lifestyle is a must for optimum health. With so many beginner-friendly opportunities, and really fun options to take your mind off the hard work, it is easy to get your cardio in.
When to Let a Child Quit a Team Sport
You’ve paid the fee. You’ve bought the cleats, the uniform, all the equipment, the shin pads – you name it. You shuttled him to and from practice. You cheered him on in the hot sun, you watched him fail in the mud puddle-filled field in that torrential downpour. Now your child wants to quit the team.
We’re trained to believe we’re not quitters. We believe we should stick it out, and so should our children. When is it ok to let your child quit a team sport?
Talk to Your Child
Why does she want to quit? What’s going on? Are kids picking on her? Does she feel unsuccessful? Is she bored? Having discussed these questions, ask yourself what your philosophy is. Is your family a “we don’t quit at any cost” type of family? Depending on the situation, you might want to encourage your child to stick with it.
If your family believes it’s ok to try something, see if you like it and if not it’s ok to move on to something you do, then do that. Other families have a definite “Finish what you start” philosophy. So, for example, if your child wants to quit a six-week session of soccer, consider encouraging her to keep with it until the session is over. Then she can move on.
Consider What You Want Your Child to Take Away from This
Is the take-away that, “gosh, martial arts was a lot of work and somewhere around brown or red belt I really wanted to give up, but my mom made me stick with it and now I’m a black belt – look what I have achieved”? Or is it, “I learned some cool self-defense moves but I don’t want to do this four nights a week for the next three years because I want to take guitar lessons”?
Whatever you decide, realize this will be a life lesson for your child. It might give your child the freedom to say, “You know, law school wasn’t what I thought it would be and I’d feel more fulfilled teaching high school history,” or it could mean the difference between completing that PHD and having an unfinished dissertation.
Teaching your child that it’s easy to walk away when things get tough isn’t a good lesson, but teaching a child that she has options and doesn’t have to stick with something that is making her miserable when there are other alternatives is a good lesson.
Some Guidelines
Whatever you decide, remind your child that it’s important to finish what you start and see things through. People need to be able to count on you and a team needs every member for a reason. On the other hand, if there’s a really good reason your child may want to quit the team, talk it over, consider all sides and make an informed decision.
Deciding when or if to quit a team sport is a tough decision that parents and children should work on together. There are a lot of pros and cons to consider and it’s important to weigh all sides and be sure you’ve been there to watch him or her at games and practices so you understand the situation as best you can. Whatever your decision, go with your gut. Know that your instincts are probably right, and you’re a good parent. Good luck.