Cardio doesn't have to suck.
What cardio actually is
Cardio is not a treadmill. It's not a specific machine, a certain number of steps, or a particular speed. Cardio is short for cardiovascular exercise: exercise that challenges your heart and lungs to work harder over a sustained period.
Playing badminton counts. A long walk at a pace that makes you slightly breathless counts. Dancing around your room counts. The only rule is that it has to be consistent enough to keep your heart rate elevated, not just a 20-second sprint.
How much do you actually need?
Here's what the research says, and it's less scary than you think.
Moderate means you can talk but not sing. Vigorous means you can only say a few words before you need a breath. Most people starting out should aim for moderate: it's sustainable, it's enough, and it adds up fast.
30 minutes, five days a week. That's it. A single episode of anything.
What that looks like in beats per minute
Enter your age to see your heart rate ranges.
Max heart rate is roughly 220 minus your age. These are averages, so treat them as a guide. If the numbers and the talk test disagree, trust the talk test.
You'll also hear people talk about zone 2. It's just the easy end of moderate, around 60–70% of your max (117–137 bpm for you), where you can chat comfortably the whole time. It's a great way to build your base, but you don't need to chase it. Easy and consistent is plenty.
Your options (ranked by fun, not by what's "proper")
Pick the one that sounds least terrible. The best cardio is the one you'll show up for.
How to know it's working
The goal is simple: make this challenging state less challenging over time. That's what fitness actually is. Your body adapts to a stress you keep applying.
None of this happens overnight. It happens over weeks. That's why consistency beats intensity, especially when you're starting out.
A simple 3-week starter plan
The goal here is to build the habit, not to destroy yourself on day one. Sustainability over everything.
1
Pick one activity from the list above. Move at a pace where you can talk but wouldn't want to. Don't time your rest, just move for 20 minutes.
2
Notice if week 1 felt easier by the end. Add 5 minutes per session. Same easy pace, don't try to go harder yet.
3
You're now hitting the weekly target. One session can be slightly harder: push the pace for 10 of those 30 minutes.
After week 3, you can add a session, add time, or add intensity. Never all three at once.
Lifting weights too?
Doing a lot of cardio alongside strength training can take away some of your strength and muscle adaptations. Running tends to get in the way more than cycling, and the more often and longer you go, the bigger the effect. You don't have to choose, just organise it well:
- Do your cardio at the end of your strength session, not before it.
- If you have a really hard cardio session, keep as much distance as you can between it and your lifting.
- Keep most of your cardio easy to moderate, and save the hard sessions for when you can space them out.
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