Cardio for all!

You know what they say, you can't survive on cardio alone.

Well, maybe that's not exactly what is said, but it's true. A good life is a balanced life, and that includes your exercise regimen…

Maybe you can spend an hour on your mat, pushing through when you feel the sweat droplets on the back of neck as you reach minute five in Virabhadra (Warrior pose), or Trikonasanas (Triangle pose). But, you seem to want to curl into the foetal position the second someone suggests going for a run. Or, your situation is flipped and cardio is easier than enduring an intense yoga or Pilates class. Either way, you can and should have it all.

Any form of exercise that gives your body a cardiovascular workout, which is a sustained level of activity that elevates your heart rate into a range at which you're training your heart, is cardio. So, can your yoga workout be cardio? Absolutely, just aim for 65 to 90% of your maximum heart rate and stay in that range for at least 20 minutes.

If this is sounding just a tad too technical for you, don't worry; just know that cardiovascular fitness requires a balance of three components – intensity, duration and frequency. This can be applied to any form of exercise be it yoga, swimming or interpretive dancing.

Below are a few suggestions on how to stay active, while doing a range of exercise types in order to keep your heart and mind in tiptop shape.

Create a schedule

Life is busy and sometimes hitting snooze and sleeping an extra 10 minutes is more appealing than jumping out of bed into jumping jacks and burpees. But, if you plan your week so that you fit in 30 minutes (that's all) a day for exercise by Sunday you’ll be high-fiving yourself while sipping on a glass of champagne.

Don’t make excuses

You don't need a gym membership or expensive equipment to practice yoga or other cardio-intensive workouts. Go for a 20 minute walk or run, and come home and do stretch and strength exercises for 10 to 15 minutes. YouTube has plenty of free workout videos and yoga sequences for all levels. Whatever you do, if you're new to all this, take it easy and don’t attempt poses that may leave you tangled up on the floor for days without help.

Repeat after me, "Cardio, strength training and yoga."

The best thing you can do is to always find a balance between the three. Try to incorporate cardio, strength training and yoga into each workout. Your body will thank you.

For example:

Run/jog or do a sequence of squats, burpees, high kicks, jumping lunges and wall sits (i.e. cardio).

Pick up a set of dumbbells and do a few sets of arm lifts.

End off with a yoga and stretching session, or just put your feet up.

Have a rest day, you deserve it.

"Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own." - Kurt Vonnegut