Maximum benefit from cardio

[kkMaryland]

Cathe et al - First off, I have to tell you that I really appreciate your work! I look forward to your new DVDs coming out! I suspect you are fast asleep when I hear your voice at 3:45 am, but you have a way of getting me going!

Question for you: Is there a work out time by which one acheives the maximum benefit from a cardio exercise? I have heard/read that after 60 minutes of cardio, there is no additional benefit gained from continuing. Is this true? If so, do you know why?

Thanks!
Karyn

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Karyn! Wow, you workout at 3:45am???? That's amazing!

When to work out as well as how long to workout always seems to remain a controversial topic. While you'll find many studies to support each claim, it goes through periods where one claim gains acceptance over the other and then vice versa.

When that happens I tend to tell people to do what works for them, motivates them, and feels best to them. I personally think that unless you are a true endurance athlete, anything beyond 60 minutes of cardio will put you at higher risk for overuse injuries, plus invite you to experience mental boredom and energy/fuel loss more rapidly.

But if you do this and feel no aches, pains, blues or blahs...then continue as you are....being especially careful to listen to your body along the way.

 

[kkMaryland]

Cathe - thanks for your response. It was very helpful as I have heard conflicting information. I am usually good for 80 minutes of your hard core cardio using a number of your workouts. I double up on, or add, the challenge sections of either Step Blast or KickMax depending on what I am doing. For instance I added the KickMax challenge to MIC this morning, like it really needs it! Sometimes I run out of steam by the end, but keep it going to the end!

I have been working out this early for years, it was the only way I could fit it in! Evening time took too much away from my family and exercise is an absolute requirement for me. I work out 2 days and take 1 day off so I at least get an extra 2 hours of sleep 1 day during the week!

Best of luck to you with your healing leg! I look forward to the new workouts.
Karyn