At the end of a rough day, the rhythmic swooshing of the elliptical, whir of a bike, or patter of feet on the belt of a treadmill might sound like music to your ears—for stress relief , cardio is tops. It’s also, of course, awesome for your heart (um, it’s in the name), and a definite calorie burner (though you already know not to trust the calorie counter on the display). Still, while all that good stuff is true, there are a lot of fallacies running around out there, and following them may be stopping you in your fitness tracks. Here, five of the biggest cardio myths:



MYTH #1: Cardio, cardio, and more cardio is the fastest ticket to weight loss.
FACT: Hours logged on those fast-paced gym machines are a sure-fire way to melt off the weight—after all, it’s calories in versus calories out, right? Well, yes, but… “You may lose weight faster doing cardio only, but unfortunately it’s the wrong kind of weight,” says Kansas City-based personal trainer Greg Justice. Cardio alone burns away both fat and muscle. For a lasting change, you have to integrate strength workouts into your routine. “Weight training builds lean muscle mass, which elevates your metabolism and burns more fat, even when you’re not exercising,” says Justice. He recommends Metabolic Resistance Training, a hybrid method in which weight training is done at a fast pace, with minimal rest. One example of this double whammy: Kettlebell training.

MYTH #2: If you don’t have at least an hour to commit to the cardio gods, it’s not worth it.
FACT: Flat-out not true. All body movement has benefits in terms of calorie burn. What you can change, though, is how efficiently you burn them. “You may be able to do steady-state cardio longer, and burn more calories during that time, but the key is what happens after your workout,” says Justice. “By doing high intensity interval training – HIIT, which means you incorporate intense periods of work with short recovery, your metabolism is elevated and you’ll be burning calories for up to 38 hours after your HIIT workout is completed.” If you prefer to pray at the altar of the treadmill, take heart. “The American Heart Association says that doing three 20-minute sessions of cardio at a vigorous intensity [like running] is the equivalent of doing five 30-minute sessions at a moderate level [like fast walking],” says exercise scientist Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. Even 10 minutes at a high intensity is beneficial. And a recent study suggests that short, infrequent bouts of slow running can do your heart good. So no excuses that you don’t have the time!

Read more: http://aftrending.com/5-cardio-myths-you-need-to-stop-believing/