HIIT or high-intensity interval training has gained popularity over the years because of its advantages. HIIT greatly aids in weight reduction and muscle growth by burning more fat in a short amount of time with short, intense bursts of physical activity. Read to find out more about steady-state cardio.
Steady-state cardio is a type of repeated aerobic exercise that requires you to exert a constant amount of energy over a longer period. The activities from this cardio often call for moderate degrees of intensity so that it becomes possible to maintain the exercise for a longer amount of time. Adding to that, it encourages weight loss, increases endurance, and has been linked to improving mood.
Difference Between Steady State Cardio and HIIT
Two Different Types of Respiration
Steady-state cardio is ideal for enhancing stamina and endurance, whereas high-intensity interval training will optimize your physical and muscular endurance. Doing a HIIT workout will make you breathe faster because the exercise intervals are mostly powered by stored carbohydrates and do not only rely on oxygen. So, high-intensive interval training is anaerobic. Steady-state cardio, on the other hand, is aerobic. It runs on stored fat and requires oxygen to maintain the longevity of the workout.
Blood Flow
It is a cardio workout, meaning it also improves the condition of the heart with its moderate intensity as compared to high-intensive interval workouts. When you exercise vigorously during the HIIT workout, your heart constantly beats so quickly. The left ventricle which temporarily stores oxygenated blood becomes unable to fill during contraction.
During this exercise, the intensity of the heartbeat is moderately less, and so the heart fills before pumping the oxygenated blood. In this way, your body receives more blood.
Who Needs Steady State Workout?
Everyone can do it. For people who are beginners or intermediate or advanced, everyone is eligible to perform the steady state cardio. Adults can perform this cardio for 2.5 hours or more weekly.
Some Examples Of Steady State Cardio
Running is a prime example of steady-state cardio, but many adults dread the thought of running for a long period. If you are one of them, there are a lot of alternatives you can go for. Swimming, jogging, running, jumping a rope, or just jumping steps are some of them. If you are working out in the gym, you can try the treadmill or the stair climber at a moderately steady pace. You can turn any activity to cardio as long as it is moderate and elevates the heart rate to a level.
Benefits Of Steady State Cardio
Incorporating a steady-state cardio routine has several advantages. Regular workouts don’t only aid in weight loss but also improve your endurance. A recent study also found that it boosts insulin sensitivity by defending against insulin resistance.
Great Motivation For Beginners
For beginners, it is often recommended. High-intensity interval training is popular for its quick and effective results, but it can also be more challenging for beginners to stick with the workout.
Exercise in a steady state still releases endorphins and can be satisfying without causing too much pain. This form of workout is also suggested to people who haven’t developed stamina, flexibility, or pace for high-intensity exercises.
The simple drive for extra energy in daily life might also benefit from it. It is an excellent source of motivation because steady-state cardio trains you how to persist through any kind or length of training, psychologically and physically.
Faster Recovery
Any injury or discomfort will only hinder the goals you set when you started working out. To achieve good results, recovery in any workout is a must. You will exhaust yourself if you combine weight training with 3 days of HIIT each week. But, steady-state cardio training will improve recovery more than any possible fitness benefits.
Regularly doing this improves your cardiovascular health and stamina while increasing your body’s capacity to function for extended periods. It may improve your bone density to prevent osteoporosis, improve your oxygen intake for better breathing, relieve stress and depression, and improve heart health.
Retains Muscle Mass
Typically, HIIT is better for maintaining muscle mass than moderately intensive endurance activities. It gives the muscles a stressor that more closely resembles weightlifting than long-distance running does.
But what happens when you combine this with a low-calorie diet? You face the possibility of losing muscle mass if you mix a strict low-calorie diet with several intensive strength straining.
HIIT provides less time for recovery and when you add less nutrition, you are done for. These high-intensity workouts burn a lot of glycogen, leaving you extremely hungry afterward. Steady-state cardio puts less stress on your body which can help you lose weight by burning more calories without overworking your body.
Incorporating Steady State Cardio Into Your Workout Routine
If you are performing HIIT workouts regularly, incorporate at least two 30-minute-long cardio sessions each week. It could be long-distance running, jogging, biking, etc.
For a beginner looking to adopt a steady-state cardio regimen, 15 minutes of this exercise is a good start. As for the heart rate, the maximum heart rate should be 55% and not any more than that. From there, you can increase to 20 and then 30 minutes. Don’t be afraid of breaks because you will eventually improve as you keep going.
Final Thoughts
To finish off, steady-state cardio is a great form of workout to increase flexibility and endurance. You can practice this cardio on its own or incorporate it with a high-intensity interval workout. Never go overboard and always make sure to partake in comfortable and enjoyable workouts.
