When Should You Do Cardio? Before or After A Workout?
Cardiovascular Exercise, colloquially known as cardio, is great for your overall health and fitness. It helps burn calories, improves your mental health, and lowers your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes - but as always in fitness there's a debate about when the best time to do cardio is.
Cardio Before Your Workout
Doing cardio before a workout is a solid way to get your blood flowing, especially when you’re doing a weightlifting routine that doesn’t involve a lot of cardio.
Cardio wakes up your muscles and prepares your body for more complex exercises. Exercising 20 to 30 minutes before weightlifting improves your overall workout experience and reduces the chances of injury.
But note that pre-workout cardio should be done at low-to-moderate intensity. The intensity should be enough to warm up your muscles and get your blood pumping but not so intense that you exhaust your muscles before you even start your weightlifting routine.
Cardio After Your Workout
Cardio after your workout also has some good benefits.
Cardio after weightlifting has been shown to improve overall endurance by helping your muscles flush out lactic acid, which causes muscle soreness.
If your goal is to build muscle mass, you can definitely do a low-intensity cardio session after your weightlifting. This will help your body to relax + recover from weightlifting. If your main goal is to lose weight or lean out, then consider a moderate-to-high-intensity cardio session after weightlifting.
so what does this mean for you + your workout?
Cardio Strategies to help you get the most out of your next workout.
Only Cardio Days
If you take regular rest days, then consider having cardio-only days. A dedicated cardio day will help keep your body active during your rest days.
Choose low-to-moderate intensity cardio that helps your body relax + recover on those days.
Stick to What Works For You + Your Workout
The best piece of advice I can give anyone is always to listen to your body.
If doing cardio before a workout feels too exhausting, switch to post-workout cardio. If your body feels too tired, painful, or uncomfortable during a cardio session, take a break.
Your body will always tell you whether you’re doing the right thing.
Keep Listening!
Final Thoughts….
Pre-workout and Post-workout cardio have their benefits, and it's essential to consider them when creating your fitness routine.
The most important thing is to listen to your body and adjust your routine accordingly.
When do you do your cardio?
