Humans have been using their bodies, running and walking around for thousands of years, only recently have people become sedentary. Doing cardiovascular activities is a part of our base system. Cardio is non-negotiable, your body needs it. If you neglect cardio for too long you may be putting your body at risk. Humans are adaptable but not to the point we take ourselves in modern life. Maybe in a few hundred years cardio will be less necessary, but that doesn't help us right now. Humans in general have gone from very active to extremely inactive in less than a century. That is simply not enough time for humanity as a whole to adapt. Maybe in the future cardio will be reserved for only the enthusiasts but I believe that is not the current reality, the problem is that is how people treat cardio now.

Cardio is not reserved for people in sports or fitness activists. Cardio benefits everyone. That being said, doing cardio doesn't mean going on a three mile run or climbing the stairs in a skyscraper. Those are good cardiovascular activities but they are also not the baseline requirement. For people who are not interested in optimizing their bodies and just want to perform the basic level of cardio simply walking or riding a bike is sufficient. Obviously more intense cardio will bring more intense benefits but just doing basic cardiovascular exercises will yield you a whole host of health benefits and help prevent unwanted issues.

Benefits of Cardio

• Maintain healthy weight - simply doing cardio exercises will burn calories, the more calories you burn during the day the less calories that will go into your fat storages. Not only that cardio may increase metabolism, which means you use more calories during the day.
• Helps You Sleep - Cardio may help you get into REM sleep easier. Doing some cardio during the day might be your ticket to better sleep. Sleep is when the body repairs itself and is a very important part of health, improving sleep is very valuable.
• Reduced Stress - Doing cardio can release serotonin and other hormones which can help combat stress.
• Mental health - Cardio releases endorphins that are associated with the reward system of your brain. This is good because releasing more positive endorphins can help combat the endorphins related to anxiety and depression.
• Stronger bones - Just like muscles, bones need to be used in order to stay strong. Cardio such as walking or running puts stress on your skeletal system which in turn strengthens it. Without bones you couldn't even stand up, I'd say something that important is worth maintaining.
• Improved blood flow - without your blood you would die, blood gives you life. Better blood flow means more nutrients in your cells. Cardio can strengthen your heart which is what leads to better blood flow.

Risks of Neglecting Cardio

As I said earlier in this article, we are designed to move. This is a gift, we are able to walk around the world as we please, run, jump and climb. If you look at it as a gift then getting out and doing cardio can be enjoyable. Although with great power comes great responsibility, if we neglect our gift and put physical activity in the background then we can get unwanted side effects. Some of the negative side effects of neglecting physical activity may be an increased risk of the following diseases:

• Heart attacks
• Strokes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Dementia
• Cancer

Example Cardio Activities

Doing cardio doesn't have to mean going for a run, although many people enjoy running and if you do then it is a fantastic exercise. Everyone has a different goal and different likes and dislikes, for one person running may be a daunting chore while cycling fills them with joy. If you don't already know your favorite type of cardio then I suggest trying them all and seeing what brings you the most happiness.

Conclusion

Humans need to stay active, it's part of our DNA. If you already do cardio then you are on the right path, but if not I highly recommend that you think about at least giving it a shot. Embrace cardio rather than hating it. Our physical abilities are a gift, use them with pride. There are many forms of cardio out there for you to try. Give them a shot, who knows many you find your new passion or even a friend. The great thing about starting cardio is that you can feel the fruits of your labor. After a while of consistent cardio I would bet that you will never want to go back to a sedentary lifestyle. Thank you for reading! I hope you found some value in this Article.