Have some extra time today?  Want to blow off some steam after a long day at school or at practice?  Frustrated with that pop quiz or prom problem?  Then go outside, pop in your headphones, and do some cardio!

With the weather finally starting to improve, there are a variety of different cardiovascular activities anyone can do outside or using these top machines indoors. Cardiovascular exercise is meant to strengthen the heart and is known to be one of the most important and effective forms of exercise. The heart is the most important muscle in the body, and if kept healthy, it can help individuals avoid numerous health problems.  Even if you only have 20-30 minutes, that is still enough time to fit in a good workout.

One of the obvious choices is running. Running is a very common and effective use of your time when working on cardio. It will help to strengthen your heart and help lose weight at the same time! You can moderate the workout by choosing certain distances or more difficult (hilly) routes.  In addition to streets and the track at the high school always being available, the Walpole Town Forest can also offer a variety of shady trails for workouts on those hot days. If you prefer to walk  you can do that and still have an effective workout. Jogging and sprinting will help you lose weight faster and get your heart pumping more, but if walking is all you can do that is fine! It will be just as effective but will just take a little more time. Don’t forget to grab your headphones with best condenser mic 2019.

Another option available for cardio exercise is the bike. While most teenagers cringe from the thought of being seen biking (in bike clothes or worse – in a helmet!), the Walpole High School Fitness Center has 4 bikes (3 of which are functional), and these bikes are typically available during the spring because most athletes are outside.

By sitting instead of standing, the bike is the better option for people with knee or lower body soreness.  The bikes will still help to get your heart moving, but when it comes to gaining muscle in other parts of the body, it works mainly towards your legs. The bike is an effective piece of equipment, but not if you do not spend enough time on it. You want to stay on the bike for a while and let yourself feel the burn.  While a 20′ run in the forest could be a difficult, that same exercise may take 35 minutes on the bike.

In addition to these, you can also do some lower body exercises without weights as long as you have a box or a block or even the bleachers.  While most people don’t ever really knows what to do with boxes, there are many simple workouts that you can do with them that will help you get your beach body in no time! You can do something as simple as repeatedly stepping up and down from these blocks to get your cardio rate up. If you want to push yourself you can jump, and increase the pace at which you jump at, for a harder, more effective workout.  If you do these on the bleachers at Turco, you can skip the tanning salon before the prom.  The metal from the bleachers reflects the sun, so you can almost guarantee a tan if you choose the right time for the workout. Be sure to keep some water by you, because you will be out of breathe in no time!

One more workout that will help improve cardio is swimming. The thought of swimming does not usually appeal to people (Because of goggles! Or – wet hair!), but it is an easy, and fun way to lose weight.  The Walpole Town Pools will open at the end of June, so ideally, this workout is better for pool owners or as a workout alternative during the summer. There are many different strokes you can do including breast stroke, doggy paddle, back stroke, butterfly, freestyle, etc. Each of these are very good for your heart rate as long as you do not stop. If you are a beginner you can decrease your distance or speed, and pick it up as time goes on and you become a better swimmer.

All of these exercises are guaranteed to get your heart rate up. Increased heart rate will help you lose weight. Moderately intense cardio workouts are one of the best ways to get the body you want in the shortest amount of time. Follow these exercises and you are on the right track to your dream summer beach bod!

If you are looking to join a gym for the health and great structure of your bdy, then choose the one which is right for you. Look up LIFE Health and Fitness Center for more information.