It's truly amazing. Finally it seems that the mainstream media is recognizing the truth when it comes to ideal exercise for health and weight loss. And the big news (drum-roll please)? Cardio is most emphatically NOT the answer. Well. Apparently we already knew that, but it's always nice to see a little bit more of the world is getting accustomed with. So what's the new scoop? Well, according to this study, not only is cardio a bad idea for diabetes treatment, but it's also not so great for overall health and the avoidance of heart disease.
I was first exposed to this concept about 5 or 6 years ago, and I want to tell you - it took me a good 18 months to get my head around the idea. At that age health concerns such as heart disease and diabetes never even entered my mind, but the idea that cardio wouldn't keep me in great shape was mind-boggling. After all, wasn't that why I'd become a cardio queen in the first place? Convinced that my 2+ hours of the stuff was what was necessary to stay slim? Don't worry, it never always worked and don't mind that I was always tired of doing so. Long story short, switching cardio for weights and plenty of protein and fat has whipped me into the best shape of my life but also leaves me feeling about a million percent better.
And I'm not the only one.
I came up with one of my regular clients and she was telling me how she shed massive weight after dropping cardio sessions. In fact, she'd dropped about 3 kg of stubborn belly fat in just 2 weeks. Can you imagine? Fat that hadn't moved for months on her high-cardio program. I had to laugh - I'd been at her for about 2 years to drop the running, but it took her suddenly being too busy for such a huge time commitment and having to drop her sessions to weights to save time. Ah well, at least she got there in the end!
You may think that I am crazy for taking such a drastic approach to health and you might not be alone. But do you really want to follow a single track that you chose a long time back and never ever try something different? There may be some hidden new possibilities out there. After all, we used to believe that the world was flat...
I think at least one reader out there is going to look at this study and shout back at me about how it's too general or the sample size is too small or blah blah blah. And they'd be right - the study could be more detailed. But hey, it's just one more tiny but tough nail in the coffin of aerobic exercise. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that the whole energy in vs. energy out quarrel is a crock anyway (yep, another one, am LOVING that word today).
And you know something? You can argue to the cows go home but when you're,
a) going around with a much bigger load on your booty than what you'd probably like or
b) only managing to stay in shape by carefully spaced-out near starvation coupled with 90 minutes+ continuous exercise per day then trust me, You are going to have a really bad time.
In many ways, weight loss and ideal health is very simple. Sure, it takes commitment, knowledge, and definitely some staying power, but it sure doesn't (need to) take over your life. This is not just a simple math. As this lovely lady recently discovered, eating higher calories and changing the way you workout could be just the answer you're looking for.
So. Don't you feel this is the high time to kick that nasty cardio habit once and for all from your life? And if after all that you're still not sure (seriously!), then promise me this. Just go for it for a month and you will get your answers, GUARANTEED.
Check out my blog Body Incredible for fat loss, nutrition and for motivational tips. And if you'd like to learn what it really takes to be in exceptional shape as a busy woman, visit Woman Incredible
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