Steady State Cardio

2016 was most definitely the year of HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training. Short bursts of powerful, all-out exercise followed by a period of active recovery.

Recognised as a sure means of burning fat, increasing cardiovascular fitness and building muscle it’s no wonder people have been swapping their hours pounding the treadmill with these 20-minute fast workouts.

But for years before the rise of HIIT, steady state cardio was the most popular means of losing weight and people seem to have forgotten the merits of a slower paced, manageable gym session.

So what exactly is ‘steady state cardio’?

Steady state cardio merely refers to any form of cardiovascular exercise that is continuous with a fixed effort level and sustained for more than 20 minutes at a time. Examples include jogging, cycling, swimming, rowing or even walking. To determine whether you’re performing SSC you can use the ‘talk test’ – newbies ought to be able to hold a conversation whilst performing their chosen steady state exercise; if you’re a little fitter a moderate pace should mean you’re just about struggling to do so by the end of your stint.

Why do Steady State Cardio?

1. To aid recovery – whilst high intensity workouts will burn a tonne of calories and leave you a sweaty mess they can be taxing on your body – your joints, muscles and central nervous system all bare the brunt of these extreme sessions. Steady paced workouts place less pressure on your body and can actually increase blood flow to working and damaged muscles thus aiding recovery.
2. To build up fitness levels and endurance – no matter what your end goal, increasing your aerobic fitness level (i.e. the body’s use of oxygen for energy) leads to a healthier heart and improved lungs functioning as well as an ability to perform activities for an extended period of time.
3. It’s easy – if you’re a beginner or just getting back into the swing of things in terms of your fitness then participating in an intense workout can seem incredibly daunting! All those sweaty ‘super fit’ individuals performing burpees, mountain climbers and rope slams with astonishing resilience and you may be put off doing anything at all. But anyone can step out onto the streets or hop on a bike and get going. Steady state cardio offers the opportunity to build up fitness levels at your own pace…just make sure you do push yourself a little harder each and every time.
4. You will burn calories – years and years of research and trending cannot be ignored. There’s no denying that steady state cardio burns calories. If you’re looking to lose weight, 30 minutes of exercise each day will help towards the calorie deficit required.

The takeaway...a mixture of strength training, high intensity and steady state cardio will work wonders for your exercise regime. Keeping your body guessing and switching up your routine will prevent plateaus and ensure you keep seeing results.