Tis’ the season for gardening, long walks with the dog, and spring cleaning. How do these activities fit in with my exercise program? Does walking the dog count as my cardio workout? How about cleaning out the garage? Pulling those weeds out of the yard is definitely a workout!
The good news is these are considered to be daily activities and adds significantly to an active lifestyle. The bad news is, they are NOT considered to be strength training or cardio workouts. The main reason is in the intensity and duration of each activity.
Although walking along the beach burns calories, generally speaking for most people, the heart rate does not get high enough or last long enough to increase your cardiovascular endurance. If you are looking for significant changes in your fitness level and body composition, the intensity needs to be increased and your heart rate must be maintained at a higher level for at least 20 minutes or more.
The other aspect is your body adapts to everything you do. It will get used to doing the same loop around the park, which may have been challenging at first, but a month later your body adapts and starts to burn less and less calories. For increasing your fitness level and weight loss, that is a killer.
What people notice when they start a weight training program or increase the intensity of their cardio workout, is that they can do their daily activities with greater ease. Chasing the kids around is a little less exhausting, lower backs don’t ache after gardening, and walking the dog turns into a run in the park.
Don’t get me wrong, an active lifestyle is the way to go! Taking the stairs and parking at the far end of a parking lot keeps you moving and living. But don’t confuse these activities with the work it takes during a real workout that can lead to big changes in your strength, endurance, and body composition.Remember to make YOU a priority in 2009!
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