The Importance of Cardio

When it comes to cardio, there are two types of people: those who thrive on the treadmill, and those who call an Über for that 10-minute walk to class.

Love it or hate it, you cannot deny the facts; cardio is an essential component of one’s physical and mental wellbeing.

People justify not working out by paying no mind to body image; some say they are happy with their weight, while others believe they are so far from their goal that the costs do not seem practical. However, the benefits of exercise soar beyond an artificial number on a scale.

If you’re not up and moving, there is a likelihood that you are not reaching your full academic potential. Exercise increases the production of neurochemicals that stimulate brain cells—in simpler terms; it’s fuel that gets your brain working.

According to the Center for Brain Health at University of Texas at Dallas, memory decline is the number one cognitive complaint of older adults, but this is nothing cardio can’t fix. Research shows that aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the hippocampus, the center of memory in the brain. Cardio promotes a healthy brain, as blood flow in the brain is an indicator of its condition.

Cardio is key to preventing and reducing the effects of both mental and cardiovascular disease.

“Heart disease and stroke are the nation’s number 1 and number 5 killers,” according to The American Heart Association. They recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity five days a week, or at least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity three days a week in addition to intense muscle strengthening activity at least two days a week to improve overall cardiovascular health.

Cardio is just as effective in treating depression as medication is. A Harvard Medical School study shows that when 60%-70% of people with mild to moderate depression took part in regular aerobic exercise, they were seen to have reduced symptoms after 16 weeks. The same results showed for those who took Zoloft, an anti-depressant, for the same amount of time. In a follow-up study, the exercise’s effects lasted longer than those induced by medication.

Cardio-haters will come up with every excuse in the book to try to avoid exercise; two of the most common is one, it’s boring or two, there is not enough time for it in their workout.

Amartyre Sen, sophomore finance major and faculty member at Eppley Recreation Center, says there are more ways to incorporate cardio than conventional machinery.

“Get outside and do something with your friends,” he said. “It’s the best way to have fun and get in a little exercise.”

Ben Bryer, a freshman in the College of Letters and Sciences, says basketball is his favorite form of cardio.

“Make it into a competition in order to motivate yourself to exercise,” Bryer advised.

The implications are clear; if you reshape the way you think about cardio, you can reshape your life.