Is it possible to do too much cardio?

Too Much Cardio? Too Much Turbo? by Chalene Johnson

The benefits of cardiovascular exercise have been proven time and time again. By adding regular cardio to your routine, you can improve or increase your:
- Heart Function
- Fat Burning
- Metabolic Rate
- Immune System
- Mental State
- Quality of Life

Great news! But, how much is enough, and is it possible to get too much cardio?

As a general guideline, you should do 30-60 minutes of cardio 4-6 days/week. Your heart needs it! Cardio is like weight training for your heart muscle – like any other muscle your heart needs to be worked out and pushed to its limits to maintain optimal performance. That being said, the right balance of cardiovascular exercise really depends on your overall fitness goal. Compare the fitness goals and corresponding cardio recommendations below.

	Primary Fitness Goal		Ideal Cardio Routine
	LOSE WEIGHT		5-6 Days/Week 30-60 Minutes/Session Balance with 2 moderate weight sessions per week with 1-3 days between weight workouts
	BUILD MUSCLE		3 Days/Week 30 Minutes/Session Cardio supplements a serious lifting program. Do cardio and weight training in different sessions, or lift first.
	MAINTAIN: BURN FAT & GAIN MODERATE MUSCLE		3-4 Days/Week 30-60 Minutes/Session Spend roughly the same amount of time on cardio and weight workouts.

Too Much of the Same Exercise? It’s important to change up your routine. So maybe you’re getting the right amount of cardio, but not enough variety to continue getting results. How do you know when it’s time to change it up?

When you’re doing too much of the same thing your body will hit a plateau.

PLATEAU = STOP LOSING WEIGHT or STOP SEEING RESULTS

Have you noticed any of the following symptoms:
You feel tired
Your body doesn’t respond the same
Stop seeing results
You’re not excited to exercise

If this describes how you are feeling, it’s time to do something different! If Turbo is your cardio of choice, you can keep doing Turbo, but mix it up with some other things too! Take your workout outside for a brisk walk or run, take a bike ride or rollerblade, hit up a friend for a game of tennis or racquetball, play basketball with your kids! That’s all cardiovascular. Just start by doing something different; shock your body. Your body will respond by giving you better results.

A good guideline is to introduce a new form of cardiovascular exercise about every 30-60 days. For many of us, we have things we love to do and do not want to stop. All you Turbo fanatics out there might find it tough to skip a day of turbo and go for a run, but try it. Your body will respond to the change of pace.

Most importantly, choose cardiovascular exercises that are fun and keep you motivated. If you hate running on the treadmill, for goodness sake don’t do it! Just listen to your body and pay attention to your energy level and progress – your body will tell you when enough is enough.