I’m in the midst of doing that 110 minutes or cardio. Gotta admit, some of it’s quite easy cardio, aka CLEANING. It needed to be done, it burns calories, therefore it counts. Win/win.
But the whole process has got me thinking about cardio and how much people do. On average I usually do 30-45 minutes of cardio about 4 times a week, except for times like today when I’m making it 110 minutes or the occasional hour long workout. This just seems to be what it averages out to over time, but I’m not super strict about it. I miss the like 3 hours of cardio a day I was doing when I was in Vermont, but I can’t seem to motivate myself to do that anymore, despite having the time and loving how it feels. Guess that’s life and the fact that I don’t have classes at my gym (fail on my part… I didn’t understand how much I liked classes). My current amount of cardio keeps my heart chugging along and keeps me from regaining weight, even if I’m not losing any.
It makes me wonder how much other people do. I read other blogs a lot (I’m like a professional lurker) so I have some ideas, but really it’s hard to tell how much cardio someone does from a blog unless they track their workouts (some do).
So, just a couple quick questions I would love for you to answer. If you don’t want your name attached just answer anonymously. I’m just really curious.
1. How much cardio do you do at one time normally? What’s a normal session for you?
2. How many cardio sessions do you do a week?
3. What kind of cardio do you normally do? Classes? Running? HIIT?
Hit me up and satisfy this burning curiosity I have to know what other people are doing.
I usually do 30-40 minutes 3 times a week. And I usually break it up. Meaning, my whole routine is usually: cardio + weights + cardio + abs (and sometimes I add some cardio at the end too). I should probably do more to lose the weight I’m still trying to lose.
My cardio is usually walking/running and elliptical. :)
.-= Diana´s last blog ..Exposed… but not physically. =-.
I think I have a stress fracture in my right tibia which has been a blessing in disguise. It has forced me to the stationary bike which I find far less boring than the treadmill.
As a result I am doing more cardio since I can occupy my mind with TV or a podcast while I am doing it. The treadmill forced me to concentrate on staying upright which gets boring when the scenery never changes.
To answer your questions, this week I have..
1 – 30-45 minutes
2 – 8-10
3 – Bike 70% of the time, Swim the other 30%
Once the weather warms completely and my leg heals, I will work in running again.
I do biking and running for cardio. Sometimes my strength training qualifies as cardio as well.
Before I got injured, I would run 3 x a week and bike 3-4 times a week.
.-= Lori (Finding Radiance)´s last blog ..Closing done!!!!!! =-.
I’m getting back into a routine at the moment but I probably do, on average, 45 minutes a day. I tend to do a lot of walking, since even though I now have a car, I think it’s ridiculous to drive 5 minutes away when I can walk it. So I walk to the gym, the bank, the grocery store, etc. I have my days of not walking much (see Wednesday – it was raining ALL day).
Other than walking places, my cardio is usually boxing (just started), treadmill or elliptical.
But yeah, I think 110 minutes is overkill and I’m still to some walking today!
.-= Gemfit´s last blog ..Another place to read me! =-.
1) 30-60min depending on the workout
2) 4-5x/wk
3)usually 2x HIIT, 2-3x running, maybe 1 steady state
.-= Fitarella´s last blog ..What If Update =-.
1) 50 min to 3.5 hours
2) 4X/week
3) All running but intensity varies dramatically
4) I also get killed by my trainer 2X/week which counts as BOTH cardio and strength training. I know this because I can’t breath when I’m doing it :)
.-= mac´s last blog ..Weekend Warrior Challenge: Braveheart Edition =-.
Hey lady.
It REALLY depends. I don’t think of “cardio” as strictly a running, elliptical, stairmaster, cycling thing. You can even do “cardio” while weight lifting, so I definitely have days when I don’t do the “normal” cardio but I’m still sweating my ass off from doing super sets and heavy lifting. I also try to walk outside a decent amount. The weather has been so nice lately.
Some weeks I’ll do a TON of cardio, other weeks, I’ll do a ton of strength training, and other weeks it’s more balanced between the two. It just depends because if I’m feeling like I need more recovery time, I’ll take it. My 5-miler was 2 days ago and I’m still taking today off, so I think I’ll get some lifting in. But last week, I did deadlifts and my legs were killing me, so I took a day off completely and rested. Listen to your body, it’ll let you know when it’s ready. That way, you can be healthy AND prevent injuries.
.-= Jess´s last blog ..Day 87: Guilt-free Fat Grams =-.
Hi, Mary. When I’m in good health, I aim at some cardio just about every day. In Hawaii, I was riding my bike for 25 mins a day (I was/am still getting back up to speed after my long illness). Last summer, when I was training for a long ride, I was riding 4x/week for anywhere from 45 mins to an hour and a half at a time. I think I like the idea of doing about 45 minutes a day. And right now, strength training is somewhat cardiovascular as well.
.-= Sherry Mayrent´s last blog ..Knitting Up the Ravelled Sleeve =-.
1.) I’ve been doing more cardio than usual lately because my mileage has gone up. But, normally, I do between 60-80 minutes 4-5 times a week. Once a week is an hour long strength training class.
2.) 3-4 sessions a week.
3.) Three times a week is running. The rest is a mix between classes, the elliptical, and biking.
.-= Gina´s last blog ..A “Speedy” 9 Miles =-.
I tend to do a lot.
I do boot camp 3X a week for an hour which is a mix of cross training and cardio. After boot camp I do an additional hour of cardio 3X week.
I run 1-2 times a week for 30-45 minutes as well.
I use my cardio time to think, read, and listen to music :)
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..I Ran A Half Marathon Y’all! =-.
not much at all. Strength training is far more important than cardio. I do steady state cardio 2-3 times a week right now, even though hiit is far more effective.
.-= Tony the Pink Panda´s last blog ..Maybe I Should of High-Fived All the Employees at Old Navy! =-.
I can’t wait to see what others say! I typically suck at exercise. Aside from walking the half hour or so on my way to work my activity level has been bleh. Even the weeks I’ve done my own challenges that’s pretty much been it for added activity.
I’m determined to turn that around, though, and not only walked for about an hour this morning but just got back upstairs from the basement where I convinced the little guy that he really wanted to play on his SmartCycle (a kid-friendly exercise bike/video game set-up) while I pedaled on my bike for just over 20 minutes :)
Cardio is the best, I love how it really gets your heart pumping! I think that three sessions a week of about 30 minutes each is the minimum everyone should do as part of a weight loss program. But I find that once you get into the habit of it, and really start to enjoy the sessions, it empowers you to push a little harder and go for a little longer each time!
1.) At least 30 minutes but I try for more
2.) 6-7 times
3.) I run 4 days a week at least 30 minutes at a time, the other three days a week I do cardio/strength training mixed together. And at least one of those strength training days, I bike to the gym and then home, in addition to the cardio I do at the gym.
Lately I’ve been doing a ton of circuits which combine cardio and weights. I do those 4-5 days per week at 30-50 min a pop. I’ve lost a ton this year doing this.
I also walk to the train, to my job downtown, and all that in reverse so I get like 3-4 miles of walking in each day as well.
.-= Sean (Learn Fitness)´s last blog ..Relaxing Family Weekend =-.
I’ve recently started getting cardio in my life. And I’m loving it so far!
My main source of cardio is the C25K program. I do it 30-45mins 4 times a week.
I’ve also decided to start incorporating biking into my workouts.
I’d love to do some classes, but I’m far too cheap to pay for them. Haha.
Well, I have addressed this on my blog & I know people think I do too much BUT I get the results I want & I don’t ask others to do the same. We are all different & things work for different people plus we change over time too!
So, in my younger days, I did cardio 6 days per week…maybe 60-75 minutes depending…
Now, I do cardio 4 days per week and the time ranges from 70 to 90 minutes a session depending. I mix it up. Outside running, treadmill steady state, treadmill HIIT, treadmill Jody intervals, treadmill hill walking & hill jogging, StepMill, Elliptical…. mix it up!
With me age, I do have to work a lot harder to get the results I want to vs. when I was your age Mary! :-)
Again, you have to establish what you want out of it, how you want to look & feel, what the short & long terms goals are & go from there. I like to look leaner & muscular so I work towards that.
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Better Health Giveaway! =-.
Yeah, the age thing makes it harder. Not impossible. There are so many individual factors that affect how much a person needs to do to have the results they want. What works for you would be major overkill for someone else. But you know what you want and you go after it – that’s super cool.
IF I was going to do regular cardio it would be HIIT or a trail run. Love trail running and recently discovered “dune running” or in my case walking but it’s puke worthy hard. Lately, I’ve just been doing kettlebells for strength and cardio. I also do taekwondo a few days a week which I count. I’m just not a traditional cardio fan I guess.
.-= Jenn´s last blog ..Girl Hero Cherie =-.
I do a 30min brisk walk every morning with my daughter, c25k every other day (another 30min), and various 30-45min cardio/strength training workouts on my off days from running.
.-= Skinny Sushi´s last blog ..C25K Week 3: Motivation =-.
Ugh cleaning. That’s what I need to do. Our house is a pigsty.
M- 40-50 min (eliptical and bike)
T- 30-50 min (zumba – depends on if I’m late to class or not!)
W – 30-60 min (kickbox – again, depends on how quick I can get to class from work) (yoga doesn’t have any cardio, right?)
Th – 0 (its weight class & im waay too done in to do any cardio after)
F- 40-50 min (eliptical and bike)
S – 0min to 5hrs (club dancing..depending on how long/where I go out)
Sun – 0min to 12 hrs (club dancing.. More usually 0 though most sundays)
PLUS..i live in a city so I don’t have a car, and have to walk everywhere. So at the very least I walk an hour a day commuting to and from home/work/gym and my house is on a steep hill both ways, and that’s not counting if I go out anywhere to eat/shop/errands/etc which can add hrs of walking, or all the walking I do around the office each day as I get bored. Just my walking around from place to place each day is a workout in itself.
.-= merri´s last blog ..My parents visit SF Part 1 of 2: Easter =-.
I miss living in a city for that exact reason. I love having to walk everywhere. Built in exercise is the best.
I’m curious too! I have tried to really increase my cardio this year. Before I broke a bone (over spring break) I was doing 45 minutes of cycling class twice a week, and 30-45 minutes of walking or elliptical the other days. 7days of cardio plus yoga, pilates and weights. Since my injury, I can’t cycle or do yoga or pilates so I have actually increased my cardio. I try to do 60-75 minutes a day now.
.-= WaistingTime´s last blog ..Bathing Beauties =-.
I do at least 45 minutes of cardio five days a week, largely because my trainer recommended that plus 3 full body weight circuits a week and abs 2+ times weekly.
The following is my schedule. Sunday is always a rest day. My 2nd rest day is whenever I need a night off due to work or social commitments. I think its really important for me to have a schedule and a plan of attack because it prevents me from losing out on workouts simply because I don’t know what to do. At the same time, keeping Saturday flexible, having a workout buddy on Tuesdays and letting one of my rest days be spontaneous, keeps this plan from feeling too rigid or tedious. Also, this plan changes every few months depending on what I’m training for. This plan will be modified in a couple weeks when I start training for thye triathalon.
Sunday: rest
Monday: 60 min total body conditioning class or 30min run, 15min walk & weight circuit w/abs
Tuesday: 60 min/4mile walk with a friend
Wednesday: 45min spin class, 15 min abs class and full weight circuit
Thursday: 45 min spin class
Friday: 30min run, 15min walk, weight circuit & abs
Saturday: 45-60 min of whatever I feel like doing (bike ride, tennis, spin, walk, hike)
I try to get in 60 minutes of EXERCISE six days per week. It’s cardio four or five times, and then yoga the other one or two.
It works for me! My lululemon bag tells me it’s good for my soul to sweat once a day and if they say it, it must be true!
.-= Tara´s last blog ..Girl on Fire =-.
Sun: rest
Mon: 4.4 miles in an hour
Tues: 2.8 miles in thirty minutes
Wed: 4.4 miles in an hour
Thurs: 2.8 miles in thirty minutes
Fri: 4.4 miles in an hour
Sat: 2.8 miles in thirty minutes
20 miles
Which is the goal
.-= JourneyBeyondSurvival´s last blog ..Learned it at the Library =-.
I do SOME cardio every day. 45 minutes straight cardio 4-5 days a week. I vary it so I don’t get bored. Dance aerobics, walking, Wii Fit, Wii Active or some combo there of. The other two days are 30 mins cardio plus 15-20 mins of weights. I do 10 mins cardio, weights, 10 mins cardio, weights and finish with 10 mins cardio. I have been losing weight pretty well (37 ls in 4-5 months) so I think this is okay. Although in all fairness I rarely consume over 1300-1400 calories in a day as well. =)
.-= Janece Suarez´s last blog ..Sunday, Sunday =-.
I go on 5 runs a week, anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hour long runs. Prob about 4 hrs a week!
.-= Lauren @ Eater not a runner´s last blog ..bum leg =-.
I was actually asking this very same question the other day! For me- I do 45 mins 5x’s a week- 30 minutes on the elliptical and 15 on the upright bike!
Hi! let me say first that you have a wonderful and very inspirational blog! love it :)
Here are my answers to your questions:
1. How much cardio do you do at one time normally? What’s a normal session for you?
I do one to two hours of cardio, depending on, if i do resistance first. If i start off with resistance training, which i usually do, i only do one hour of cardio and one of resistance.
2. How many cardio sessions do you do a week?
I do 5 to 6 cardio sessions a week.
3. What kind of cardio do you normally do? Classes? Running? HIIT?
I do interval cardio training at home. Although, i really wish i had a treadmill, OR to be able to go out and run!
.-= Nury´s last blog ..Visart Dali Designs Giveaway =-.
I change up my cardio output on a regular basis. Sometimes I do cardio twice a week for 45 min at a stretch on the stairmaster or elliptical in the morning and running in the evening. Then I may change it up to cardio on machines 4 days per week for 15-20 min and run in the evening.
I don’t like classes at all. My favorite machine is the stairmaster followed by the elliptical. I don’t do the treadmill at all. I find it extremely boring.
I’ll run/walk 4-5 days per week.
.-= ernise´s last blog ..Sidelined =-.
What interesting comments! I lost a good bit of weight 10 years ago, and so I’m vigilant with my exercise to keep it lost…I work out 6 days a week for 1 hr./day, no more, no less; but I’m active on my off day too-just not in the aerobic zone. I wear a HRM to make sure I remain in my aerobic zone: left to my own devices, I tend to slack off. I do one hour of cardio 3x/week, composed of elliptical, step (my own, ever-varying routine), and treadmill. 3x/week, I do 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength-training. On Sundays, I think about doing yoga :)
Burning curiosity = cardio?
I am one of those crazy people who track their workouts and post them in a handy-dandy calendar PDF for safe-keeping/all the world to see. As you might know, I am training for a half marathon right now so my schedule is gradually getting longer and more intense:
Monday – 4.5 miles = approx 47-48 min
Wednesday – 3 miles = approx 30 min
Thursday – 4.5 miles = approx 47-48 min
Saturday – 7 miles = approx 115 mins
Sunday – Hockey = 60 mins
Sooo. 5 hours of cardio each week? I generally try to get in two strength training workouts which is basically 30 mins of yoga twice a week. But I’ve been slacking on that.
Since I am following a schedule and I am hard-core, I do not skip my workouts because I know that doing so will only make next week’s workout harder and pretty much why I have signed up for these type of events in the first place. Endless motivation from not wanting to die enroute = key.
When the half is done, I THINK I am going to cut down to running two days a week (medium run + long run), stick to playing hockey on Sunday, and do more strength training. Cardio is really important and I have lost an ass-ton of weight doing it, but I sometimes wish I would have incorporated more strength training into my regimen at the beginning.
It’s nice to learn what other people are doing, but you’ve got to do what works for you… and you’ve got to find that balance between mediocrity and hardcore. If you make things too easy, you will never test your limits and you will never grow. If you make things too hard, you will never think you can do it!
.-= BodyByPizza´s last blog ..Uncovering the Truth =-.
It’s definitely about finding what works for you. I’m all about that (obviously, as I stopped running). I honestly am just one of those curious/nosy people about other people. I like to read biographies. In magazines I always read blurbs about writers instead of actual articles. It’s why I love blogs. And it’s why I ask questions like this. I’m just curious about how other people do things. I don’t copy other people, but I do like to know. ;)
Great question, nice to read all the variations, wow!
1. Cardio 6 days a week, 30-60 minutes a session (after weights)
2. Mainly running but I vary intensity, HIIT 3 times a week for 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes steady state. Non HIIT days I just do 30 minutes running at incline
3. Weight training in circuits 6 days a week for 60 minutes a session (this pretty much counts for cardio too)
.-= Rita @ The Giggly Bits´s last blog ..Fake Food, Cravings and the Overeating =-.
I do 30 minutes on the elliptical machine 3 to 5 times a week. I really need to start pushing myself a little more . . . I love going to the gym and I don’t think I could live without it, but I’m not certain that I’m losing more weight at this point. I’m probably one of those people that honestly needs a personal trainer, because I’m just too happy hanging out in my comfort zone!
.-= Hair Loss Information´s last blog ..Hair Replacement =-.
I usually do 6 days of cardio of at least 45 mins in a go. Either running, swimming, elliptical, etc.
.-= Dana´s last blog ..Compare =-.
I try to go to the gym 4 days a week. 3 of those days I take 60 minute classes and 1 day I do a double class.
.-= shelly´s last blog ..Shopping! =-.
Up until recently, I was doing 1-1.5 hours six days a week. But I’m now fitter and can go harder and burn more, so I am doing about 45 minutes five times a week, and then one longer session on the weekends. I use a combination of elliptical and intervals on the treadmill. The running intervals are getting longer…
I usually do 30 minutes of intervals on the eliptical machine 3-4 times per week, plus working out with my trainer 3xweek for an hour each. I *really* need to ramp up the cardio. I’d like to do it 45 minutes 5 days a week. My trainer wants me to do the treadmill over the eliptical, but I don’t own one, and getting my behind to the gym in addition to my training time has been tough.
I have no doubt my weight loss would speed up if I got off my butt and did more cardio!
I think that’s a really great question, and I’m actually kind of curious myself. I do about three times a week for 45 minutes each, and I do classes. Some of my favorite classes are spinning and step–They’re fun, but they kick my butt.
Plus, I’ve found that when I work out by myself, I don’t get as good of a workout as I could. I like knowing that other people are suffering with me.
Hope
Hey Mary, I’m obviously late to the game here, but for me it’s not about how long I do cardio, but how intense my cardio is. With a full time job, school, and a family it’s not feasible for me to workout 90 minutes every day. I also don’t think it’s particularly effective.
3 times a week my cardio sessions are 30 minutes or less but they are extremely intense.
Once a week I do a recovery cardio workout that is longer (60-90 minutes) but not anywhere near as intense.
60 minutes minimum 6 days a week…on three days it is more like 90 minutes cause I do a 5.6 mile hike….the other three are on an elliptical at the gym.
I do housework but don’t really count it as exercise.
Oh heck… I’m not sure I even want to know!
Let’s see…
Monday: 60minutes cardio + 60 minutes weights
Tuesday: 120 minutes + 60 minutes yoga + 30 minutes weights
Wednesday: 120 minutes cardio
Thursday: 120 minutes cardio
Friday: 30 minutes weights + 60 minutes cardio
Saturday: 60 minutes weights + 60 minutes cardio
Sunday: 60 minutes cardio
And… more wherever I can fit it in.
.-= Marshmallow´s last blog ..Mad Marshy: Wife burnt alive for being obese =-.
I know Ive rambled ad nauseum about this but have to chime in anyway :)
I do cardio 6 or 7 days a week. thirty minutes.
for me I knew when I started this (I needed/wanted to lose about 40 pounds) that I also NEEDED/WANTED to start by doing what I could do forever.
I was about 22 yo and had plenty of time to workout—-but also knew I wanted to marry had to work :) etc so I needed to set myself up for success from the outset.
For me it is about consistency. day in day out week in week out year in year out decade in decade out…not vast amounts.
Id love to do a guest post for you on this if youd ever want!
its just what works for me.
.-= Miz´s last blog ..MizFit, Fitness Magazine & choosing what we see. =-.
Very new to your blog. I usually take 2-3 session and i’m pretty much in shape with that. I’m above 35 yrs and can’t do more..
Since I joined the gym in December I’ve been averaging 65 minutes on the elliptical 5 days a week. I try to do the weight circuit and maybe an additional 15-20 minutes on the dreadmill a couple of days a week too.
I plan on doing 110 minutes of cardio next week. I made 99 minutes for the Jen (Prior Fat Girl) and Tony (the Anti-Jared)’s recent stairmaster challenge so another 11 minutes shouldn’t be too much harder, right? Huffing and puffing already just thinking about it ….
60 minutes of cardio, 6 days a week. Usually on the recumbent bike on an interval program. Other times, 30 mins on the bike + 30 minutes of Jillian or some other workout video. I started off doing about 20 minutes 3X a week, then 40 minutes 5 days a week. Those beginning stats worked for weight loss at first, but I would inevitably plateau very soon because it really wasn’t enough for weight loss.
That may seem like a lot, but consider that the amount of physical activity recommended by the U.S. Dept. of Health is 150 minutes per week for adults, 60 minutes a day for kids/young adults. http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/faqs.aspx And that’s just to maintain health, not for weight loss.
For older people like me trying to just maintain and fend off weight loss, and overweight people trying to lose weight, 60 hours a day is the minimum. http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/24/keeping-weight-down-means-more-than-a-few-minutes-of-activity-a-day/
.-= Camevil´s last blog ..Wednesday Weigh-In 4/21/2010 and Gonna Kill Some Zombies–BRB =-.
Oops, I meant 60 minutes, not 60 hours. :-p
.-= Camevil´s last blog ..Wednesday Weigh-In 4/21/2010 and Gonna Kill Some Zombies–BRB =-.
I tried Camevil’s 60-hour-a-day workout and I thought it was highly effective… but it’s not for everyone.
.-= Jack Sh*t´s last blog ..Running Buddy =-.
I get in some kind of high-impact cardio workout six days a week, from a half hour (which I do on the same days I do strength training… generally 3x a week) to 90 minutes or more (no weights). For me, cardio “feels” like it’s getting the job done whereas strength training I have to go by by gut instinct that it’s better in the long run.
.-= Jack Sh*t´s last blog ..Running Buddy =-.