Why You Need Cardio & How You Can Get Enough
Cardio was something I used to dread. Long, boring hours at the same monotonous pace on the treadmill is what came to mind whenever I thought about cardio.
It wasn’t until I started getting into fitness, taking group fitness classes, earning my personal training certification, did I realize steady state cardio on the treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike is not the only way.
High intensity interval training has many amazing benefits, including an improvement in cardiovascular health, blood pressure, cholesterol, and abdominal fat and body weight. Not only do you reap the benefits of cardio, but you can do it in a shorter amount of time than your typical jog on the treadmill. Even better, the intensity of the workout can lead to more calories burned, even after you stop exercising (source: https://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/high-intensity-interval-training.pdf)
How much cardio do you need?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity (i.e. that’s about 30 minutes 5 days of week) OR 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity physical activity. Our 45 minute classes are perfect way to get all you need and more! Why get more? Why not just stick with the recommended? Well, you can boost your health benefits even more if you increase that number to 300 minutes a week. Good thing we’ve got plenty of cardio-based classes available for you to choose from on our schedule!
What does cardio look like?
Cardio is any type of exercise that gets your heart rate up and your blood pumping. It works your cardiovascular system- hence, “cardio.” When we first opened Remix, we started with our signature Cardio class (which I do still teach every Tuesday at 9:30 AM!).
Our Remixed Cardio Class is an efficient, high intensity interval training class set to an upbeat playlist guaranteed to be a ton of sweaty fun. 45 minutes will fly by as we mix it up and take your heart rate up and down. I love teaching it because not only is it a challenging, sweaty class that’ll for sure work your heart and your lunges, but ANYONE can do it! We offer modifications for all, so even those who don’t want to do all the “jumps” can still get a great workout in.
Now that we are a year and a half in, it’s amazing to think about all the other cardio classes we’ve added to the schedule. We have an option for you depending on your preferences. From dance to spin classes to kickboxing and more, we have a class for you! See a complete list of cardio classes and their descriptions in our Cardio Classes, but here’s a quick list of the types of cardio classes we offer…
Get straight cardio in our Remixed Cardio class or add a little extra core work in our Core/Cardio Remix or additional strength training in our Barre/Cardio Remix and Cardio/Sculpt Remix.
Grab a bike for a high intensity, but low impact workout during one of our Remixed Spin classes.
Move through cardio moves at your own pace, along with some strength training during a Remixed Bootcamp or Remixed Tabata class.
Take some aggression out or feel the beat of the music with any of our Remixed Boxing or Kickboxing Classes and Remixed Dance.
Finally, want to start out with just a little taste of cardio? Our Remix Method Class is perfect for you!
The best thing about all of our classes, like a mentioned above, is that they are for EVERYBODY. You don’t need to “get in shape” before taking one of our classes. You can come and get in shape through our classes. Our instructors will walk you through any modifications you made need. Everyone is there to workout, at their own pace, together.
So, what should I do?
Book your first class! If you haven’t tried Remix yet, your first class is FREE! If you’re already a member? Try giving yourself a goal to get to at least 3 cardio-based classes a week this month.
Get your outfit ready! We recommend sneakers, comfortable, athletic-wear and plenty of water. We’ve got the towels for when you start to sweat- which you will! If you are taking a spin class, we recommend sneakers or spin shoes.
Grab a friend! Cardio classes are even more fun with friends. It’s a great motivator when you have a friend sweating along right next to you in class. Your friends aren’t convinced yet? We’ll go with you! Message me or Mary Cate (the other owner). We would LOVE to take a class with you. Plus, it’s a lot of fun watching one of the owners get her butt kicked right along with you.
