Stop doing so much cardio!

I don’t know how many times I have to talk about this. Although we’ve acclimated to the idea that a workout routine must involve hours spent on a treadmill or running for miles around your city, excessive cardio just isn’t good for you. 

That’s right, too much cardio is bad for you. 

Let me explain: too much cardio elevates cortisol, decreases thyroid hormone—T3 specifically—and decreases testosterone and growth hormone.  It basically works against you and wears your body down.  

Yes, you’ll burn calories while you’re doing your cardio, but you’re not building your metabolism at the same time. That’s the most important thing to focus on when you’re trying to lose weight, and by running or working on the elliptical machine for hours, you’re doing the exact opposite.   What you’re looking for is a long-term investment in your metabolism. To make this happen, do interval training instead. This involves short bouts of high intensity training alternated with low intensity bouts. 

That might look like sprinting for 20 seconds followed by jogging slowly for 10, and repeating this pattern over and over again for 10 minutes or so.   The great thing about intervals is that you get all of the calorie burning intensity of a long cardio session, while giving your metabolism the boost it needs.  

Best of all, you’ll probably finish your workout in half the time!