At Taylor Pilates and Fitness we want you to move well, feel well and live well. We believe that what you do in the Pilates studio is as important as what you do out of the studio. We believe that Pilates creates a great exercise foundation and that functional fitness is an essential part of any healthy lifestyle and exercise plan. While Pilates and functional fitness train whole body movement, muscle endurance, stability, and mobility, your body still needs cardio (or cardiovascular training). Cardio training is what we feel you should be incorporating outside the Pilates studio.
What is cardio training?
The most basic definition of cardio training is anything that increases your heart rate to burn energy. This includes everything from walking to running, rowing to swimming and jumping rope to HIIT classes. Even though some of the movements you experience at our Pilates studio can increase your heart rate, it isn’t sustained for a long enough period to qualify as cardio training.
According to the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every adult should get a minimum 150 minutes of moderate exercise (or a combo of moderate and vigorous) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise every week. An easy way to calculate this is to aim for 30 minutes five times per week. You can also get up from your desk and take a 10-minute walk which can be counted toward your weekly goal. Being able to incorporate cardio into your daily life in 10-minute increments makes your weekly goal easier to attain and less overwhelming.
What are the benefits of cardio training and why is it important? Your heart’s primary responsibility is to pump blood throughout your body; as your heart beats faster it circulates blood through your system faster. Cardio training is a great workout for your heart, but it also enables oxygen to quickly reach all areas of your body. Cardio training is essential for your heart and blood vessels, can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce your risk for certain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and some kinds of cancer. In addition to the heart-healthy benefits of cardio training, a consistent commitment to cardio helps:
Join us for Pilates sessions, Functional Fitness, Oov Classes and be sure you are getting 150 minutes of cardio training in per week outside the Pilates studio. For recommendations on how to combine your Pilates practice with cardio training, please call or text Taylor Pilates and Fitness at 303-472-6743 to schedule a session.