Is Slow Cardio Effective in Weight Loss Programs?

Doing low intensity or slow cardio exercises is no more considered as the universal way of losing weight and getting fit.

There have been stories of people not getting the desired results. Some have even suffered injuries caused by doing too much slow cardio exercises. But while cardio training is no longer looked at as a panacea to weight problems, it remains very much a big part in most fitness programs, especially for people who are just starting out in the gym.

Tom Venuto, a lifetime natural bodybuilder, world-renowned fat loss expert and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”, explains the reason for this in a recent interview.

“Walking, which is usually low intensity cardio, may be perfect exercise for the beginner and for the elderly, obese, or anyone with orthopedic issues and it’s great for health and simply more enjoyable for a lot of people. For people who are really de-conditioned, even a few minutes of walking can be taxing.”

This is why it is highly recommended, and even required in most fitness training centers to have new members consult with a doctor and personal trainer when formulating a workout plan. Because there are some exercises that are less suitable for clients compared to the others, beginners usually start with low intensity cardio exercises such as walking on the treadmill to gauge how far they can go.

It’s given that slow cardio will not do much if you want to lose weight. That’s because you have to increase the intensity of your cardio in order for your body to burn more calories. If you go on the treadmill even for 45 minutes, and you are hardly breaking a sweat, then it means that you’re just not pushing yourself hard enough.

But once you have put off the weight, slow cardio can then help your efforts in keeping the fat from coming back. Venuto acknowledges this in the same interview:

“According to the national weight registry, which tracked the behaviors and results of almost 5,000 formerly obese people who lost on average 60 lbs and kept it off long term, the single most popular form of physical activity to achieve that permanent weight loss was walking. Walking on the tread is also the cardio of choice for quite a few bodybuilders, and I’ve seen countless bodybuilders hit low single digit body fat with nothing but walking for cardio.”

Fitness training centers specializing in weight loss programs can definitely help you determine if slow cardio is right for the kind of weight loss program you have. Here at The Body Project, we offer fast weight loss programs to help you shed unwanted fat by doing slow cardio exercises. We are dedicated to helping you infuse holistic nutrition and functional fitness so that you can have a healthier body.