FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast

Cardio Myths Debunked: Why It's More Than Just a Weight Loss Tool.

September 21, 2023 Turo Virta
Cardio Myths Debunked: Why It's More Than Just a Weight Loss Tool.
FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast
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FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast
Cardio Myths Debunked: Why It's More Than Just a Weight Loss Tool.
Sep 21, 2023
Turo Virta

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In this FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast episode,   I talk about the often misunderstood relationship between cardiovascular exercise and weight loss.
I challenge the traditional approach and offer a fresh perspective, backed by personal anecdotes and scientific evidence.
You will learn about the body's fascinating adaptability, the potential pitfalls of solely relying on cardio for weight loss, and how to craft a balanced regimen that prioritizes both health and weight loss results.
From revealing the science behind cardio adaptations and calorie burn to emphasizing the importance of muscle preservation, I provide actionable advice for you regardless of your fitness level.
Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just embarking on your weight loss journey, this episode is packed with insights to help you refine your approach and achieve your goals sustainably.
My favorite quote is "as little as possible but consistently to see enough results to keep going".
I talked on why a tailored cardio routine combined with strength training is the gold standard for optimal results.
Dive deep into the benefits of cardio, find out the truth about calorie deficits, and get inspired to take control of your fitness journey.
Don't miss this masterclass in redefining how we view and use cardio in our daily lives!

To get started, please check out my free sources and coaching options from my website HERE or email me turo@fitmitturo.com for questions, topic ideas or feedback. I love to hear from you!

Talk Soon,

Turo

Show Notes Transcript

Send us a Text Message.

In this FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast episode,   I talk about the often misunderstood relationship between cardiovascular exercise and weight loss.
I challenge the traditional approach and offer a fresh perspective, backed by personal anecdotes and scientific evidence.
You will learn about the body's fascinating adaptability, the potential pitfalls of solely relying on cardio for weight loss, and how to craft a balanced regimen that prioritizes both health and weight loss results.
From revealing the science behind cardio adaptations and calorie burn to emphasizing the importance of muscle preservation, I provide actionable advice for you regardless of your fitness level.
Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just embarking on your weight loss journey, this episode is packed with insights to help you refine your approach and achieve your goals sustainably.
My favorite quote is "as little as possible but consistently to see enough results to keep going".
I talked on why a tailored cardio routine combined with strength training is the gold standard for optimal results.
Dive deep into the benefits of cardio, find out the truth about calorie deficits, and get inspired to take control of your fitness journey.
Don't miss this masterclass in redefining how we view and use cardio in our daily lives!

To get started, please check out my free sources and coaching options from my website HERE or email me turo@fitmitturo.com for questions, topic ideas or feedback. I love to hear from you!

Talk Soon,

Turo

Turo Virta:

Hey, and welcome to this fit meter fitness podcast. In today, I'm talking about cardio, and why it's so commonly misused in as a tool of for weight loss, it's very, very important to do, but why so many people are using it from, especially when you are trying to lose weight, and that in this episode, I'm talking about how you should actually do it right in not only to improve your health and overall endurance, but also how to use it properly in a if your goal is for example, to losing weight. And if this episode is giving you some new thoughts, new ideas, I highly recommend you to check out my coaching options, they will find out notes from my show notes. And if you know someone you have friend or somebody who is, or you know who you recognize listening this episode, please send this episode to your friend, as you are not only helping your friend, but also giving them probably a little bit more freedom to do what they actually enjoy and do it in a in a right way. So so let's get into this episode. And so what is what is our first is what is cardio and what its most common misconceptions. So, cardio bass, obviously, you probably know it's a it's a, it's you use it to improve your health, heart health and endurance. So you want to not be out of breath, you want to be able to do things, what you what you enjoy doing without having being out of breath. And that's the it's not just the it's just the normal things your you want to be able to climb up stairs, go for a hike, doing things you want to get up, play with your kids without feeling tired. And it's very, very important. So this is the main purpose. Like obviously, if you are an athlete or something you want to improve your running time, or overall performance, it's it's a very important tool. But why so many people are using it is the wrong is, is that you are using it as a tool to lose weight, and that as a tool to burn more calories. And there's nothing wrong with that. But that I wanted in this episode, I want to explain a little bit what matters more, and how to use cardio properly. And what is the best way, and what is the best form of cardio, especially if your goal is to do lose weight because most people they think that, you know, you understand the principle of calorie deficit, if you want to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you are eating. And so you think that it makes kind of logically sense that you go for a run, you do some exercise or activity that burns the most calories. So you think that now when I'm burning calories, I'm going to lose also that that and that my weight gain scale. So a little bit lower number. But this is actually one of the biggest and most common mistakes, what you are using if you're using cardio as a weight loss tool. So what is the what is the right approach or approach to use cardio for weight loss. So cardio is like I said, it's the it's the best, it's a very good tool to use. But if you are using only cardio, there is a there is a big risks, what we are going to go a little bit later in this episode deeper. So because your body is going to adapt for whatever you are doing, your body doesn't know what you are trying to tell to your body. And if you are, if you are not sending the right things, you are just focusing on burning calories, it's going to be it's going to be leading that your body is going to adapt and that you are not you are probably going to see some kind of weight loss plateaus. Weight loss is getting all the time harder. And if you are just focusing on burning more calories in the long term, it's not going to you're going to make your journey so much more harder than it could be if you do it in a in a right way. And this is one of the most common reasons that why for example, in the beginning, cardio is a great tool. If you are new starting weight loss journey, you think that you go for a run. That's a great way to do it. You might see scale is going down you see a lot of progress, but longer you are doing it at some point you are hitting plateau and to get out of this plateau. It's going to be so hard especially mentally because you might be thinking that why the same things I did in the beginning are not working anymore. Even you probably are working at least As hard as in the beginning, but it says not resulting weightless. And this is kind of like it because it's it makes everything sense. If you try to imagine like blows your mind is thinking and your brain is thinking differently than what your body and to understanding what your body is understanding and why how your body is reacting for these things. So, I have been recently trying to create in my Instagram and Tiktok videos, some kind of conversations between your brain and your body. And to help you to understand that why why your body not doesn't always understand what you are trying to tell to your body, because your body is basically it's doing what you are asking to do. But the most common mistake is that, that your body have no idea what you are trying to tell, and it's confused, you are trying to you are giving, like, so dif so many different signals to your body. And so it's getting confused, it's like a same thing for you, if you're praying, like, if you are trying to tell five different things, and you have them in the end, you are overwhelmed, you don't know what you should be doing. And in the end, you end up doing nothing. And this is exactly the same way, how your how your body is reacting. So cardio is a weightless tool, and how to use it properly. There is a couple good examples like, for example, you don't, first what I'm going to say is that you don't need to run to lose weight, you don't need to do some intense cardio to lose weight. So this is this is something like for me, I believe it's my personal story, what I do, I don't enjoy running. And it's not that I have nothing against running, I used to run. I don't mind running, but I don't do it in a regular basis. Because simply I don't enjoy. And I still sometimes run I do some especially some interval trainings, but I don't need to do them with running I there's so many other forms, I enjoy doing more. And I know that I'm more consistent by doing it with something else. And, and the best way to I have Indian now I'm okay, I'm at the age of 41. If I take some tests, or like I make look my resting heartbeat, or something, which is by the way, it's an indicator how how is your overall heart health, how is your overall endurance, it's probably lower lowest than it has ever been. And this everything by without doing any running. So, what I what I do is basically I walk I walk a lot, and a little bit later I will explain exactly why it is working is so important and why it makes actually how you are able to improve your overall health. So there is a there was a other good examples like what I what I do basically for myself, I will first my story then I tell a couple of my clients how they they were doing it. So I tried to walk a lot, I go for hiking every Sunday, I just I found out that it's something it's you don't need to do what I do. This is just an example. I love going for hiding. I bow with parents of my my wife, we go every Sunday, and we do like three four hour hike, it's not going to be some extreme, it's very low, very low intensity. And it's kind of more for mental health. But obviously, you are still walking, you are moving. And this we have been doing for past 567 years. And it's every Sunday. And in addition, I tried to walk a lot. And this is not that I don't go for hours but but depending on weeks and schedule and everything I try to include every day and thinking every every single time where I could get if I have possibility to walk if I'm able to walk I choose walking. So kind of making the decision that I'm actually I'm trying to stay active. And there were a couple of my clients in my members of coaching Heidi and Sebastian, we had in August labor last month was a challenge 3000 300,000 Steps talents. And those two people they won, they were in top three they were the first people who hit 3000 300,000 steps in August. And and in addition, they are doing some form of resistance training, strength training. That's what I do personally do. And and now hiatus messaged me yesterday and sent pictures that she have lost within past four months 10 kilos and it's not that CeCe didn't do extreme diets or changed everything. He just increased her activity. She walked a lot see put focus on really hitting that then 1000 steps off 15,000, whatever number it's the number is not important, it's just increasing where you are at the moment. So there is no, it's just a random number that 10,000. So it might be adding 1000, adding 2000, where you are currently at. And that is that what makes huge, huge difference. And then if you combine it with some nutritional strategies, like adding a little bit more protein, what we are talking a little bit later, and some form of strength training, it don't have to be a lab, like I personally do two to three times a week, around 45 minute sessions. And that's what Heidi was doing, she was participating for my group workouts, and doing one to two times a week, full body strength training, including sometimes there is some kind of cardio high intensity stuff, too. And Sebastian was the other example. So he just messaged me that he was in vacation. And they're like, walking was just part of his routine. And that combining that with strength training, suddenly, it's kind of it's it feels that it's not even, you don't even do that. It's not that it's not that you don't chase Chase, that feeling that you have to be exhausted. And this is this is the hardest part to understand that because you think that you know, losing weight has to be hard heart, it has to feel that you are really putting, doing some effort and and if you go for a walk, when you come from work, you don't feel like that you don't have that same kind of you don't get the dopamine spike into your brain, where you tell that, wow, this was now something now I have done something, it was like, Okay, I did something. But it's not that you don't feel tired, you don't feel like that you actually have done something, or it was not like that you had that workout. And it's it's so hard to understand that you have to it's enough, it's okay to do a little bit less. So why why that is that important. So it's, it's called metabolic adaptation. And what is the adaptation principle. So how your body's adapting in, in cardio workouts. So if you think that you are like, you go, you haven't been running for years, and then you go for the first time you call for a run. And let's say that maybe it's not the running, maybe it's kind of combination between walking and running. And you go, you go for, let's say, 30 minutes, you want to go for five kilometers, which is like three miles, if you are using miles, and you try to hit that in 30 minutes. And in the beginning, it might feel hard, you are you are hardly barely not going to make it. But obviously if you go for that 30 minute, five get five kilometres for more often, at some point it becomes easier. And your body because your body is very good at adapting. So you are you get used to it what you're doing. So what you need to be doing, it's, it's you have to do it. Same thing with the strength training, if you start to do you want to do 10 Push ups in the beginning, you might not be able to do them. But then at some point, it's getting easier because your body is adapting, it's responding what you are telling your body to do. And it's exactly the same thing with with the cardio with the strength training, it's easier to avoid that adaptation because you just either eat or you increase resistance, if you use weights, you add more weight, you add more reps, but with the cardio, it's over time, it's getting so hard, because either you have to run faster, or you have to run longer. So at some point you are you are going to hit kind of plateau that or you run out of time you run out of mental energy, because it's it's so hard to do more, more. So the key part is that, that your body's adapting. So if you let's say that the type five gait in 30 minutes you needed in the beginning 400 calories, your Watts is still in 400 calories, maybe later on maybe your Watts is still showing the same, but uninstall this that you are not going to need because your body you have become more effective and you don't need that it your calorie burn is a lot lower. And and this is this is the why why your body is actually adapting to that. That cardio. So there is there's what is what is the science behind I don't want to sound like a doctor but just to understand that, that why that adaptation happens because it's it's really hard to understand it why why why you should be not only doing the same thing so so if you think that especially with with that kind of low intensity, long duration cardio, so your body becomes more efficient at using energy. So, like I said, it means that you are burning fewer calories doing the same activity once you are conditioned compared when to when you started and also the full use how your body with training, the body becomes better at using fats as a source of fuel and preserving glucose and storages this is this is something that is very beneficial for endurance performance, but also can contribute to plateauing effect, if weight loss is the goal. And it also adapts to stress so, your hormonal responses overtraining and and poor for weight loss. So when your body becomes more efficient at performing the same cardiovascular activity, it burns fewer calories doing it and this is what often why people might see rapid weight loss initially when starting a cardio routine but then he'd plateau and to continue seeing that weight loss or fitness improvements you have to variety intensity ration and or type of cardio exercise to maybe an the most effective strategies to income break in incorporate some other forms exercises like strength training. So this is this is how why it's overtime if you only use cardio only use running as a tool of weight loss tool. It's it's going to be you're going to make your your weight loss journey is so much more harder than it should be. So then what is the next point on my list this I put some notes here is that why that calorie burning? Is that that doesn't mean almost nothing. So so if you if you are thinking that why did I need to burn more calories so obviously you probably have heard that that you know you need to burn more calories to lose fat and now you think that you you are if you think comparing exercise for example strength training, and cardio it's 100% fact that with cardio you are burning more calories. And then you think why I should be doing some strength training if I burn more calories. And this is the misconception what is what is an I understand it's it's very hard to really understand. But if you focus only on burning calories, it's it's overtime, it's getting so much easier like oh so much harder because if you think that you just burn calories and during that cardio workout, like I said, first of all your body's adapting. So you are burning less calories than you you think what also if you do only cardio, what it is leading like that, obviously your body needs more energy to compensate that fat loss and if you are not trying to prevent that muscle so you might be losing also muscles. So this is this is something what is what is if you look for example, runners, there are different runners like long like marathon runners or sprinters. If you look what is what is the difference like I haven't seen any marathon runner who is like really muscular, they are more like relating and don't have a lot of muscle mass because simply it's muscle you don't need muscle to be effective. And and that is that is how your body is also responding. If it's for sprinting, they are usually if you look sprint printers, they are very often muscular because you need that it's a strength what you need in the short term performance. And running is a great tool but depending how you're using it so if you only go for long runs and trying to lose weight, it's it's very misleading. So because your body becomes more efficient, it reduces that energy consumption and it buttons really leaning that you are losing muscle mass and when you are losing muscle mass because it's it's leading that you are burning less calories when you are resting so let's say that your maintenance calories were 2000 and you are doing some cardio you are launching getting some losing some weight your you are losing also some your muscle mass and now when you are resting earlier you were needing 2000 Now you might be needing 1000 600,500 and and then it's at some point maybe something happens in life and you can do as much cardio as earlier. And now you are totally fucked up because you are you need that 500 calories but so what it means you need to eat even less than before and if it's only doing what you focus on, it's it's getting so hard and other than what I always wanted to want to tell that if you are focusing on those burnt calories if you look your workouts or a sport tracker or whatever you are using, those are very inaccurate. Like there were studies, there are studies that they are overestimating from 26 to 97% of calories burned. So if your Watts is telling 500 calories, you might actually be needing 350. And it, it means close to zero for your weight loss. So it's just that it's five to 10%. Maybe if you are very, very active, it might be 15%. But it's not going to be more of total calories you burn. So it means close to nothing. What matters more is your daily activity, how active you are outside of your workouts. So if you think that if you are very active, you might be working out 10 hours per week. So that is already pretty good. It's still in a week, how many hours you have, it's like 5% of your total hours per week. So that's why your overall your recovery, sleep, nutrition, activity outside of your workouts is lot more important than focusing on only on those five pros. So don't, what I recommend always to my clients is that put, don't add, if you have a tracking app, where if you're tracking your nutrition, for example, get those burnt calories away from your tracking app. So you don't even see how many calories you're at or tracking Thing. Thought you burned. Because then you might be thinking that now I have deserved more food, it's just pick one number, what you have don't act or reduce calories, amount of calories you burned. Because you don't need to deserve your food, it's just simply picking up one number. If some days let's say you have a workout day, you are feeling hungry, you feel like that your stomach is growling, you don't have energy, then eat a bit more, but don't base that number on thinking that how many calories you have burned, because like I said, it means closely close to nothing. What is them like a little bit, that's a little bit already about preserving that muscle mass. So. So when you are trying to lose weight, it's muscle, it's the most important, most valuable thing what you have in your body to keep your maintenance to make it less heart less heart, or a little bit easier in the long term. Because like I said, if you are just solely focusing on cardio, you are burning also your muscle you or your body doesn't care, it needs to be in a calorie deficit, it needs that your body needs to compensate that missing energy from some tissue, it could be that it could be muscle, but your body doesn't basically care if it's from your muscle, if it's from your fat, it's just some tissue where you need to get that energy away. And now, when you are, if you are not doing fighting against that it's going to be muscle, your body mass muscle is a lot easier to take energy from it's, it's maybe it could be in the beginning fat, but then less fat you have muscle becomes more tempting for your body to take that energy away. And, and when you lose muscle mass, you burn less calories in your outside of your workouts in your life when you don't do nothing. And this is like exactly when like I said that. If you are not at some point, you are not able to follow your cardio routine, you need to eat even less. And this is this is the hardest part to maintain, then that's why you think that I do exactly the same things and I don't get results or I gain weight, because you have just lost your muscle mass. And that is that is those consequences of the muscle loss is that it's slowing down your metabolism. And like I said, it's causing those weight loss plateaus. So, so how to do it. It's, it's first of all, what is preventing muscle loss? It's that some form of strength training. So I always use some kind of like you could be doing your bodyweight exercises bodyweight is a great tool, especially in the beginning, but at some point it's getting like what is important in our strength training is to follow all progressive overload brings it same then in cardio, like doing always something more so. And with bodyweight. It's getting just so hard because you don't have so many exercises, what you could be doing like if you let's say that you want to do squats, you could be doing bodyweight squats, but then at some point, you know, you have to do 100 of them. And it's getting more like kind of cardio than actually strength training. So next time you need to do 150 And obviously you would be doing one leg squats. If you are good at push ups. Push ups are great, but then you can dream To drain all muscles, you really have to be like, there is just very essence It's getting boring, I have seen it hurting so many people that it's in the short term, it's a great tool, great way especially to get started, do not have excuse to buy don't have equipment just to get started, but then at some point invest for accessible lumpers or some kind of resistance bands. Because then you have lot more variety platform a lot more possibilities to follow the progressive overload. So that strength training and eating enough protein protein is preventing life that you are not you losing, it's a fuel for your muscles. So those are two most important things to preserving that percent that muscle muscle loss. Then what is what is what is then what kind of cardio LiPos those are, if you really think it like it's, it's it's a different signals what your body like, if you tried to do like in the beginning, if you are beginner, I always you can do cardio, to strength training, both at the same time you are it's able to, you are able to beat muscle, you're able to lose fat at the same time. But then at some point your body's getting used to it, your body is very good at adapting. So when you sent new, you haven't done strength training for a longer, longer time or ever in your life. So it's new signal, what your body's telling what you bought, you're telling me it doesn't matter, then about that energy, it's your body responding is responding to building muscle mass, but let's say after six months, or it depends on every person, it could be after three months, it's not going to work anymore. So your body has adapted and muscle to be able to grow. It's kind of saying it's a muscle, it's again, it's a tissue, like a fat. And if you if you eat more calories, you are gaining fat. But if you if you if you want to bleed some other tissue, like muscle, you need to eat also more calories. And what is the only difference between muscle gain and fat gain. If you're eating more calories, it's a strength training, eating enough protein so your body understands what you're trying to do. And this is one of the hardest thing to understand for someone who is who still have some weight to lose and knew what you have been you are on a weight loss plateau. And you are not you you would need to build more muscle mass. And then you are it's mentally scary that you somebody is telling you that you have to eat more calories to that. And then they are first reaction is that no, no, no way, I'm not going to back, I don't want to be that overweight person again. But I don't say you have to go in a surplus. But at least in your maintenance levels, learning how to maintain your lost weight. And at the same time putting that focus away from fat loss and putting it to getting stronger and building more muscle. And then after that, you go back in a deficit. And this is the best way, like changing all the time, or not all the time. But I would say that in normal cases, as soon as you hit the plateau, do something differently. So it's usually three to four months, when your body's recognizing what you are trying to do. And that's why it's important also, as with the strength training, scenes in your routines, and not always waiting, like what I have seen is the best way like that. You think with my clients. If they are if they are they are already they are still doing great. But there are some signals coming already that now it's kind of getting into a routine. And that's the time when we usually change focus, it could be focusing on one month only for improving endurance cardio, and building kind of that gaining muscle mass and strength in a maintenance. And it would mean to do for example, one strength training per week. And instead of three or four systems, just one says to maintain muscle mass focus, improving cardio, and then maybe next month, it's just walking and focusing really on building muscle. Because if you try to do everything at the same time, if you think what your buddy's thinking is that when you try to build muscle mass, it's that you need more energy to build muscle. And if you try to improve your endurance, it's completely different signal. So you try to become more effective. And when you try to do everything at the same time, especially when your body already knows that you have done strength training, you don't have those kinds of newbie gains anymore. It's getting almost impossible to do both at the same time or you won't see as much results as you would say like let's say that in six months of time from a few from now you take six months, the personality September when I record this so six months from now if you try it all the time, Nick some upcoming six months to focus both doing both at the same time. Or if you would focus, let's say, month by month into cardio, either strength, I guarantee you are you have better results in a boat, if you focus on one thing at a time, instead of kind of trying to do everything at the same time. And this is this is kind of the best approach, if you think that how you can get the most out of your body by working smarter, and not always harder. Then next topic I wanted to cover is that what is the best cardio for different goals. So if your goal is simply improving your heart and your endurance, the best way is, for me is John do cardio. And that, including, in addition, some kinds of interval training. So this is a this is a hitting that how marathon runners how endurance athletes are training. So it's sewn to cardio, and obviously for marathon runners, for endurance athletes, the tone to it might be running, but for most people like for me, so on to it means rapid walking, and or walking little bit on like a hiking or something on uphill. So this is this is when you if you have a watch, you can follow what is your turn to heartbeat and it feels always kind of easy that you could be doing it for long. And, and it's if you if you are equals, it's not like I said in the beginning, it's not chasing that feeling, it's after that workout, you feel like oh, I could be going for a lot longer. But it's time is I don't have more time. And this is this is why you are not stressing your body so much. And when you do it like most optimal principle is around 80% 85% of your total amount of endurance training or cardio workout should be shown to you. So let's say that that simple example is you have five hours per week for your cardio, it could be walking, it could be or it still total five hours. So how you divide it and say that for at least four hours, don't you and then one hour or it could be a little a little bit less 45 minutes some kind of interval cardio, what is it called sewn for. So that it's it's like higher your heartbeat is high, you are out of breath. And obviously if you have a sport watch, you can watch those zones. And it don't have to be really like that optimal but at least for most people doing one interval training where you're really you push yourself your heartbeat is going into almost maximum and this is more than enough and you will see lot more benefits a lot more results than trying to do like what most people are doing tako it's kind of that zone three, what feels heart and you do it, you go for a run you are if you look where it's shown you are you are in zone three most of the time and this is this is where you get that kind of feeling that after that you should wait you feel tired you feel that you have done something but I guarantee you'll get better results if you follow this 8020 principle with the Changshu and so on for so obviously tone four is very taxing for your body but it's it's like I said that it's that principle like those sprinters you need if you do something like very quickly it's you are not it's not your body's not adapting your body's not using deduces different oil. And, and this is this is when you you are preventing your muscle mass by doing interval training. So it could be for for example, I don't there's many forms of doing it, you could be doing it while running while doing bicycle. I personally I love playing tennis, and obviously it's a little bit longer. It's not the same thing. But I'm still I have pretty high amount obviously it's most of John three so it's not paradise, that is my way how I enjoy doing I don't have that my endurance I walk a lot and this is how I do it. So, so this is this is the most effectiveness and then the rest you do depending on every month months goal, you do kind of strength training depending on how intense you want to work. If your goal is to for example, for fat loss, I would say that one interval training, a lot of walking and do the four strength training sessions per week and you are kind of getting both you are focusing more on muscle mass and then in months after It could be just one strength training focusing more on cardio. But this is, this is very individualized and depending on your goals, what is your goal but but then that it's, it's better to have kind of month by month or three month plan what you are going to actually do, and you are going to exceed a lot more in that longer period of time, when you focus on one thing at a time and presenting your body right signals every single time. So it's it really depends on your individual goal. If you have a goal, a specific goal, improving your health, improving your running, you have some events coming up, you want to do some hikes, it's highly recommended, like also how you are doing your strength training, it's probably endorsements, focusing more on kind of endurance, strength training, like doing higher reps, but then on the other month, if you try to build for example, maximum strength, then I would not recommend to do like kind of that long cardio except walking, walking is always great that you could be doing without having any, you don't have to be scared that you are losing muscle mass because that is not taxing to your body. And it's actually helping with recovery and everything so, so there is different kinds of methods what you could be using. And but it basically it depends a lot of your your individual goals and what is tailored for your specific health, health and fitness goals. So what is the positive side effects of cardio, so there is there's so many health benefits, I'm not saying that you should not do it, but testing it how you are doing it. So so it's improving overall stamina to overall health. And it's you feel so much better when you have more like you know, you can do things what you enjoy without getting tired without getting exhausted right away. And, and it's what isn't the best way of doing the cardio, it's what you actually enjoy doing. So you are able to do it for longer, perform more. And for me, it's it's just walking, obviously, I love I enjoy playing, I do some ice hockey, I'm refereeing I enjoy playing tennis at this time, or basically wholly or not in winter. But but this is this is what helps to feel so much better. When you do something what you actually enjoy equals if you hate something you hate you do running, or you do cardio, simply because you want to lose weight, it's in the long term, it's not going to convert for you. So finding really that way what you enjoy doing it and when you aren't doing it for Jones, you would feel it's kind of easy. So if you don't have sport record, first of all, I recommend to get one just to become aware of what is happening. It's interesting to watch I talked with a couple of times it's they are now they first they were avoiding to get some kind of sport tracker. But now when they have it, they are excited to see how many kilometers how their heartbeat was kind of stuff. But if you don't have you don't want to have, that's totally fine. How to know that you are actually in zone two is that it's kind of that you are able to talk, but you don't want to talk. So this is the difference between someone and John G. So John one is that, you know, you want to talk all the time and you want to stop some to is that you are able to talk but you don't want to talk all the time. So you can make sentences, let's say 12 to 15 words without having that you don't have to stop and take breath. So you can talk but you don't want to keep talking longer. So if you are not able to make 12 to 15 words sentence without taking a breath you are shown to but if you are not then it's so three if it's if you are not able to keep up with the conversation. And then if it's on four, then you feel it you are almost on your on your maximum heartbeat. So this is this is what I what I recommend that finding some activity you enjoy doing. So it's giving you that kind of positive relationship with exercise. And it's it's it's not easy to tell that what it is for you because it's it's totally up to you I had a client's they love doing frisbee golf, all of the you know it's it's walking, it's might not be the most optimal or whatever you call it. But it's still you enjoy doing it. You do it a lot and you don't count it as an exercise. So it's positive relationship with this whole exercise thing. And and this is this is the best way how to do it walking. Just simply something that you naturally enjoy doing. And you can do a lot. So this is, this is the best thing. And then obviously, if it's if it's nutrition part when you are doing cardio exercise, so obviously, you are needed, you need something called biochem. And this is it's called carbohydrates. So this is the energy, the main fuel source of your workouts you might be using, if you go for longer, you might be using fats, dietary fats for your foiling your workouts, like longer you call. But basically, it's those two things. But what most people it's already still the most important is protein. So protein, it's, it doesn't matter if you do endurance sport strength training, what I see that 80%, at least of people who start to work with me, they eat way too little protein. And when you start adding protein, you feel less hunger, you are preventing muscle mass, so you are not losing muscle mass. And it helps you if you are doing strength training at the same time, it helps you to maintain your muscle mass or build muscle mass depending on what your goal is. Because if you are in a, in a deficit, building muscle mass, it's gonna be hard. Like if especially if you're not beginner, or you had a longer workout break, but and then there's the big, big danger. So even your goal is to lose fat and you try to go for bigger deficits, it's, it's going to like what it how it's going to lead. If you did like that, you think that now I have a lot of weight to lose, I go for let's say my main that is calories is 3000 I go for 2000 4800. So I go pitch deficit that I am able to lose weight faster. So what is going to happen you might be seeing in the beginning weight loss, but then later on, you will have a lot less energy, your are going to probably lose muscle mass instead of losing fat. And you are your energy levels, overall performance in your workouts you are not able to perform, you will feel tired all the time. And you don't have energy to do this was one of the best example was that if you are like there is nothing wrong. If you don't enjoy eating carbs, you see that it's working very well for you. But if you are completely cutting your carbs out and you want to work at the same time, because maybe you have been doing some keto or zero carb diet, your energy levels you won't have you feel it right away. And it's kind of like feeling that you know, you don't my buddy was doing is it that he was cutting carbs completely out and he couldn't get up with the stairs, who was he was he's an athlete. And then like at some point he was going so low that is that he never had that kind of feeling that he couldn't even climb up them stairs, that legs broken. And you know, you don't have to wonder if it's too big the deficit Do you don't have any energy to workout or to do and it's even you might be losing fat, but it's always leading that at some point, then you are telling to yourself that now enough is enough and then you are going to eat you are not going to stop it you feel guilt and shame. So the best approach is to take it step by step going for slower because it's not who is telling what is the good amount of progress. What is more important is that when while you are making progress while you are losing weight, you are feeling good that you it doesn't feel that you are doing some extreme diet you don't have some date what is what is there like that you have some kind of goal line when you have to be done with the weight loss so there is no deadline when it have to be done. And and this is don't just trust me Don't try to search the fastest way of doing it. So now this was episode a few I hope you found some valuable tips. If you're interested to work with me. I will put some links for my one on one coaching for my membership coaching and I'm going to do in the very near future some kind of challenges with focusing on doing it in the right way. If your goal is for example, to become a better runner, I have workout programs and I will put them all together in that sentence form and that will come out very soon. So put my I just put your email to my email list use my calorie calculator or anything and old either type which I have been is free workouts and then you will be informed or just simply following my social media. I will post it in upcoming weeks when that A tennis is officially out and like I said in the beginning if you have any friend who is wanting to know that this do cardio in a wrong way please share this episode with them so thank you for listening and talk to you soon