Treadmill, elliptical, and the bike.
Love it, like it, and leave it.
You have to choose one for each category…
Ready? GO!
I appreciate you having fun with me because we’re talking about something today that I can bet you don’t think is fun…
CARDIO 🤢
We can agree cardio’s not fun. But what’s worse is this…
You’re putting in the effort - time and sweat - but the scale still isn’t budging.
Or god forbid…it’s going up.
And it makes you ask this question:
“But this worked when I was in my 20s and 30s. Why is it not working now?”
It feels like you’re broken…like something’s wrong with you.
But that’s not true…
You’ve been given the wrong advice for the season of life you’re in.
Say it with me, “I’m not broken!”
I’m proud of you - now we can get deep into why it’s bad advice.
Too Many People Giving Bad Advice…
Warning: I’m going to say a few phrases that will make you roll your eyes…
“Burn more calories to burn more fat.”
“Eat less, move more.”
“Do more cardio.”
I rolled my eyes too…but this is the advice you were given!
And sure — that worked when you were in your 20s or early 30s.
But here’s what I want you to remember…
Your hormones were different.
You had more muscle.
Your metabolism was faster.
Your stress was lower.
Your sleep was better.
Your recovery was quicker.
But now?
Trying to “cardio your way thin” after 40 is like trying to eat soup with a fork.
It might… kind of work… but it will take forever and it’s definitely not the best way to do it.
Because here’s the truth:
Cardio is great for your heart.
Hint to why they call it “cardio” ;)
But it’s not great for weight loss after 40.
Let me walk you through why…
While you do burn calories while you’re on the treadmill, you stop burning calories the second you step off.
On top of that, you actually teach your metabolism to burn less calories when you do more cardio - boo!
But that’s not all of it…
Because weight loss after 40 isn’t a calorie-burning problem.
It’s a muscle, hormone, and metabolism problem.
And cardio alone doesn’t fix those.
In fact, too much cardio without strength training can make all three worse.
So What Is Cardio Good For?
Let’s give cardio the credit it deserves — because it’s not the villain…
And it would benefit your health greatly to do it regularly!
Cardio helps with:
Heart health
Blood flow
Stress reduction
Endurance
Mental clarity
Here’s what science recommends for how much cardio to do for a healthier heart:
150 minutes of moderate cardio per week
Or….
75 minutes of more vigorous cardio per week
Not multiple hours per day.
Not “burn 1,000 calories per workout.”
Not “walk until your Fitbit begs for mercy.”
Just 150 minutes.
But here’s where it gets fun…
The part no one tells women over 40.
You don’t need to do cardio separately from your strength training.
Because of how I program workouts inside Revitalized…
Your strength training is also your cardio.
Your heart rate stays elevated.
You’re using multiple muscle groups at once.
You’re building strength and endurance.
You’re getting more benefits in less time.
That’s why I have members say things like:
“I sweat more in 30 minutes with you than 2 hours on the treadmill.”
I don’t know about you but if I can spend 30 minutes in the gym and get 2x the results of 2 hours on the treadmill, I‘m in!
This Is What Cardio Looks Like After 40
Ironically, cardio after 40 starts with strength training 2-4x per week. If you strength train for 20-30 minutes, you’re almost already there.
This does most of the ‘heavy lifting’ for you 😏.
Next, you add in movement you enjoy to fill in the rest of the 150 minutes.
This can be:
A 20–30 minute walk after dinner
A weekend hike
A dance class
Biking with a friend/spouse
Picking 2–3 days a week for a brisk walk
And last, but not least, cardio should feel supportive, not stressful.
Yes, you should sweat. You should be tired. You should be a bit winded.
But if you’re feeling like you finished the Boston Marathon…
Then it’s too much.
How Are You Going To Add Cardio Into Your Routine?
If you’ve been relying on cardio to lose weight…
You’re working way harder than you need to.
Cardio helps your heart.
Nutrition helps your fat loss.
Strength training helps your muscle and metabolism.
And when you combine them correctly — the way we do at Revitalized — your body will finally responds the way it’s supposed to.
It all comes down to needing the right strategy for the season of life you’re in.
And finding a way to do it that isn’t a drag and is actually fun.
Here’s your cardio plan for this week:
2–4 strength sessions
20-minute walk on a few days
One fun activity of your choice
Now you have a strategy to help you do both!
Your friend and coach,
Ben
P.S. Reply and let me know how you’re going to get in your cardio this week!
