In this article, we will review the positive effects of cardio, explain how cardio affects weight loss, and answer frequently asked questions.

There are so many benefits to being more active in your daily life and doing both cardio and fitness training regularly. By incorporating more movement into your daily life, you reduce the risk of certain diseases, get better sleep and increase your lung capacity.

9 positive effects of fitness training

The human body is designed to move. Being as sedentary as we generally are today is not good for us, and if you start moving more, you will quickly notice the benefits of fitness training.

There are many benefits, but the nine we want to highlight in particular are:

1. Increased lung capacity.
2. Positive effects on blood lipids.
3. More red blood cells.
4. Reduces stress..
5. better sleep.
6. better memory.
7. Easier to control weight.
8. Better ability to concentrate.
9. Reduced risk of certain diseases.

The Swedish Public Health Agency has developed guidelines for physical activity in Sweden. The recommendations for children and young people aged 6-17 years are to perform medium-intensity heart rate raising activity for at least 60 minutes per day. For high-intensity activity or the type that strengthens bones and muscles, it is recommended at least 3 days a week.

They recommend that an adult between 18 and 64 years of age should perform at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, which corresponds to at least about 20 minutes per day. For high-intensity physical activity, they advise a minimum of 75-150 minutes, or a combination of medium- and high-intensity exercise that meets these guidelines.

They also say that adults should exercise regularly and perform medium- or high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days a week. This exercise should train all the major muscle groups..

Read more on the Public Health Agency's website.

What counts as medium- and high-intensity activity is individual. For a person who sits still in front of a computer all day, a brisk walk might be medium-intensity, while for a more fit person it might be a longer run. Adapt to your level and then increase as you progress.

Fitness training and weight loss

One of the main benefits of cardio is that it helps us keep our weight in check. When you do cardio, you consume a lot of energy which, in simple terms, means you burn more calories.

If you exercise for longer periods of your life and build muscle, your body will automatically burn more calories. This is because muscle needs more energy than fat. You then increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the energy your body uses when you are completely sedentary.

When it comes to weight management, diet is a very important part as it is about adjusting your energy intake according to your goal. So you can exercise a lot, but if you don't adjust your energy intake so that you spend more energy than you take in, your weight will remain the same. However, many people find it easier to maintain good dietary habits if they exercise and change their lifestyle at the same time.

Thus, fitness training alone will not automatically lead to weight loss. But with the right diet combined with exercise, you will find it easier to control your weight.

Read more: Aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

In conclusion, fitness training is beneficial for both physical and mental health. Our bodies are not made to be as sedentary as we are today, and getting started with exercise has positive effects that you can't get any other way.

If you sit a lot and are inactive in your everyday life, the first step to change can be to go out and take a 20-minute walk at a brisk pace. Once you get into a routine and want to take it to the next level, you can start jogging or running to train your heart and oxygen uptake even more!

Answers to frequently asked questions:

What happens in the body during cardio training?

When you do cardio, you train your heart. It pumps more blood, increasing the number of red blood cells that carry oxygen from your lungs to your body. This reduces the risk of certain diseases, such as heart attacks, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, among others.

Will I lose weight if I do cardio?

No, not from cardio alone. If you want to lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than you consume, which is called a calorie deficit. This means that diet is the most important part. However, a positive effect of cardio is that you can control your weight more easily because cardio burns a lot of calories.

Why fitness training is good?

Fitness training is good for many things. For example, it strengthens your heart, reduces stress, helps you sleep better and improves your ability to concentrate.