This summer has been so amazing eh? I have been loving each day filled with light, more time with my kids and more time for CARDIO!

Last summer, my health wasn’t were I wanted it to be (even though I didn’t even realize it at the time). After dealing with some severe digestion issues all after a nasty parasite (more about that here) and suffering from some mental health issues, I was left weak and unmotivated to do cardio. I was struggling to find the energy to do anything extra or to do my own workouts. I had to do shorter, heavy lifting workouts as I just didn’t have the stamina to go for a run or climb a mountain. I actually remember being in Kelowna and going for a short but steep hike and having to turn back before the view point as I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest.

You see I have always been a cardio queen. I easily ran 10 km races in high school, spent many years running road races, trails races, and was naturally really fast at climbing mountains both on bikes and by foot. It’s even in my DNA, when I did my DNA testing with DNA POWER, it showed that I am genetically inclined to excel at endurance sports. They gave me that runners high and helped me feel balanced and empowered.

SO when I no longer had the energy or the endurance to do these things I loved, I was crushed and felt like I was losing a part of me that I had always loved.

Well this summer is different and I feel like my old self again. I’m back to going for 10 km runs, climbing the Grouse Grind every week, and riding my road bike up Mt.Seymour. It feels so GOOD!

I know what it takes to build up your cardio and I wanted to share some ways that you can improve your cardio while still enjoying life! I know so many women who have this love-hate relationship with cardio. Or worse, who do it as punishment for what they ate. Cardio can be a great outlet for anxiety, is good for your heart, and can take you out to some pretty beautiful places.

CARDIO TIPS 

1. Reframe your dialogue around cardio. Cardio is not your enemy, it didn’t steal your boyfriend and it’s not trying to make you hate life:)lol We create our own reality through our thoughts. So if you’re thinking that cardio is energy #1, chances are you’re going to hate every second. Why not look at cardio through the lens of gratitude, gratitude for this amazing thing your body is capable of. Having good cardiovascular health could save your life! If this is the only think you work on, it will still drastically improve your relationship with cardio and I guarantee you will do it more often if it comes from a place of gratitude.
2. Bite off manageable chunks. Don’t start with climbing a mountain if you haven’t hiked in years. this will not only lead to feeling frustrated but also the risk of injury and burnout. Like they say, always start small and build up. This was so hard for me when I was getting back into cardio. My times were so much slower than they used to be and I’m still not back at where I was at even a year later! My best Grind time is 40 minutes and I still can’t crack the 41 minute mark. But that’s ok cause I’ve already brought it down from 49 minutes which leads me to…
3. Celebrate your success! If you are making it to one spin class a week, that’s better than no spin classes a week right. Be proud of your efforts and celebrate the small improvements. Maybe you start only run/wlaking 3 km, but after a month you can run the whole 3 km. That’s a win in my books.
4. Ok now on to some more technical tips……
5. Mix up going slow and fast (or low intensity and high intensity). This means that some days, you give it your all and go hard. And on other days, you have to pull back the reigns and purposely go slower (aerobic training). Some days you climb and other days you go for flatter trail runs. This variety helps build up that base fitness level you need to break personal bests and make big improvements.
6. Cross-train. Lifting weights, doing barre, mixing up running with road biking. Our bodies get so much benefits out of all and any exercise. Barre has really helped make my legs strong so I can run up hill, yoga helps keep me injury free, lifting weights helps my upper body stay strong for when I need to stand up on my bike on a hill climb. Don’t just run, or just do spin class if you can avoid it. 
7. Don’t be scared. I’m not asking you to push yourself so far that you pass out… I’m just saying that a lot of people don’t know where there limit is and how hard they can actually go because of fear or because it’s so uncomfortable. Being completely breathless, tired and feeling a burning in your muscles isn’t a feeling we are all used to. I encourage you to build up to a place where you can experience this and then back away when it feels like too much. Stay connected with your breath, listen to your body and not your mind. Your mind will always give up before your body does!
8. Find a pace buddy. This is my best tip and how I get my best results-I go with a friend that is faster than me! My husband is a great person to go with as he is so fast that even his slow is faster than my fast. But that doesn’t get me down, it motivates me to do my best. I have another friend who is insane and honestly could’ve been a endurance athlete. It’s fun to have someone to chase after and shows you it can be done.

I hope this post encourages you to rethink you’re relationship with cardio and to give it another chance if you’d previously sworn it off:) And if you are already on board and love cardio, I hope this tips help you take your running/hiking/biking/rowing to the next level.

I also want to say that if you are at a point in your life right now where you can’t push yourself due to chronic illness, an injury, your a new mom with no time or any other reason… this too shall pass. I honestly had thought I had hung up my running sneakers for life (I know a bit dramatic but just being honest) but now I see I was meant to take a break so I could grow and improve in other areas in my life. I found spirituality, meditation and self-care during those darker times and for that, I am so grateful.

If you have any questions, would like some personal guidance or training, or would like to join me on any of my runs or rides, let me know!!! 

xoxo

Rebecca