Okay team, you know we’re all about lifting heavy and empowering women to strength train and to feel strong. And we’ve been guilty in the past of not letting the cardio get a look in. HOWEVER, we’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t talk about cardiovascular fitness a little bit too. We actually manage to sneakily incorporate some cardio to get your heart rate up at the end of most of our sessions in studio - with a SWOD (StrongHer workout of the day). We recognise that equally as important for your health as building muscle, cardio is one of those things we have to do - and while we’re at it, we might as well make it FUN! Today we look at top three reasons why we think cardio is important for women and then share some of our fave ways to get it done!

Cardiovascular health, duuh
Stating the obvious - but cardio is important for your cardiovascular system, that is your heart and your blood vessels. The heart is just a muscle - and like every other muscle, it needs training. The stronger it becomes, the more efficient it is at pumping blood to our lungs and every other organ in our bodies. Getting your cardio in reduces the risk of heart disease in the long run. Hate it or love it - it’s a must if we want to live long, happy lives.

Happy healthy lungs

Another vital system - your respiratory one - is where cardio really shines. Regular cardio increases lung capacity and efficiency, enhancing oxygen delivery to your body’s tissues and improving overall respiratory health. Improved lung function ensures that oxygen is efficiently transported from the lungs to the bloodstream, enhancing overall energy levels and performance during physical activities. And not to mention all the respiratory conditions it can prevent! If you’re still not convinced -  everyday tasks like climbing the stairs (except the stairs at Covent Garden tube station - IYKYK), carrying shopping, running for the bus or just galavanting around the city less challenging.

Your hormones will be grateful

Cardio can help regulate your hormones. Two things to consider here - your endorphins and mood management, and your menstrual cycle.

Have you ever heard of the ‘runner’s high’? Yep, that’s a thing and you don’t need to run a marathon to experience it! Cardio exercises (not only running btw!) stimulate the release of endorphins, which are natural mood elevators. Endorphins can help reduce stress levels and promote feelings of well-being and give you that sweet buzz after a cardio sesh.

Now, cardio and your menstrual cycle are not exactly besties - it’s more of a love/hate relationship. Cardio can affect hormone levels, including those involved in the menstrual cycle such as estrogen and progesterone. Regular cardio may help regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis (we have no clue how to pronounce this either, don’t worry), which controls the menstrual cycle, leading to more regular cycles. However, it’s important to note that doing intense cardio throughout your cycle is probably not a great idea - leave the 5k PBs and HIIT workouts for your follicular phase! You can learn more about your cycle and working out here.

There’s plenty of ways to go about improving your cardio fitness - but first it’s important to understand what aspect of your cardio fitness you’d like to work on. The simplest way to go about this is to look at heart rate zones:












Here’s a few ways you can improve your cardio fitness without feeling like you have to sign up for a marathon (although we totally support you in doing that too!).

• Add a ‘finisher’ or SWOD to the end of your strength session. This will help get your heart rate up and have you breaking out in a sweat! You will be in zone 3 - 4, working on that endurance!

• Walk more! Zone 1-2 is where A LOT of the health and longevity benefits are. It’s also one of the most accessible forms of exercise - regardless of fitness levels. 

• Make small changes in your daily life - climb the stairs instead of taking the lift, walk instead of taking the bus (oftentimes it’s even faster!), go to your local grocery store instead of ordering online, etc. 

• Find something you ENJOY - there’s SO many other sports to get your heart rate up! Boxing, battle ropes, rowing, ski ergs .. the list goes on. And yes - give running a go too! We know, we know, but hear us out. If you’re one of those people who hates running - we feel you - but that’s likely because you might have tried to run without a program or a plan in the past. It’s super important that you start out slowly and build up from there. This could look like walking for 2 minutes, jogging for 1, rinse and repeat for about 15-20 min and voila - you’re a runner!
  
  And if you need some extra help getting started - book that Strides class aka Run club aka Rub club, every Monday @6.30 pm!