Cardio is a very effective way to burn a lot of calories in a short space of time, or indeed a longer duration if you are someone who enjoys running for example. There are a variety of methods you can use, from steady state cardio through to HIIT (high intensity interval training). That will be something I will discuss another time.
Depending which method you choose you can expect your body to work at different heart rate zones. Which basically means your aerobic zone of your anaerobic zone. How many calories you burn really depends on how hard you work. For example The average person will burn between 80 to 140 calories per mile. That means 30 minutes of running will burn between 280 and 520 calories, depending on your weight and speed. A typical 30 minute HIIT session you can expect to burn between 250 and 350 calories. This can very much depend on how hard you workout and how fit you are, and truth be told it is only part of the story.
Looking at those comparisons you’d be forgiven for ditching HIIT training and going for a run instead, but there is research to show that there is something called the afterburn effect. This can be 6% for lower intensity and up to 15% for higher intensity of the total calories burned during your workout.
Cardio also brings a whole host of benefits for your health and fitness. Some of the benefits you can expect from cardio; A healthier cardiovascular system, stronger immune system, reducing blood pressure, and improving mood are just some of the benefits you can expect to reap.