3 Signs You're Doing Too Much Cardio

Your first thought after reading the title was probably “ I thought cardio was good for you” Ye, Cardio is great for our bodies , Climbing heights on the stair

master, pumping it out on the elliptical, sprinting on the treadmill, swimming, cycling, they all help us to build up great endurance, and have a tremendous benefit to our heart health, BUT there is such a thing as too much cardio. Just like weight lifting causes stress to muscles, cardio causes stress to our hearts, and a moderate amount is definitely needed but too much of it can actually weaken our hearts. The key to both weightlifting and cardio is creating a balance between the two and more importantly allowing the body to rest and recover as needed.

Here are 3 Signs that you may need to cut back on the cardio:

1. Your Stubborn Midsection Won’t Go Away

It takes more than cardio 5 days a week to get rid of stubborn belly fat. Studies have shown that you need to incorporate strength training into your workout to burn fat. Your body actually burns fat beyond your workouts as you build up and strengthen your muscles. Pure cardio can’t do that.

2. Your Body Lacks Definition

Hitting the gym hard everyday, but that definition is still not coming through? That’s a sign you’re doing the wrong kinds of workouts. Cardio can help with weight loss, but it won’t build tight , toned , sexy curves. Cardio can definitely “shrink” your body but you may also have a softer , undesirable physique to accompany the smaller look. Cardio can cause both muscle and fat reduction- which is not the ideal scenario, as we typically want to keep muscle and lose fat. So keeping or adding weight lifting and strength training to the cardio regimen is major key in avoiding adding undesirable flab and softness to your body.

3. You Start Dreading Your Workouts

Routine and familiarity are comfortable to most of us, but when it comes to your fitness journey, switching things up is super important to your progress and your mindset. If you find that you begin to dread your workouts and get anxiety when that time rolls around, you should start looking for different ways to spice up your routines, like doing a HIIT class instead of running on the treadmill. You’ll feel better and notice your body responding to the change as well.