Aerobic exercise isn’t just for people who are looking to lose weight. Low-intensity cardio can be great for endurance, fat burning, and muscle building. But is low-intensity cardio effective? That’s the question I’m going to answer in this blog post.
What is Low-Intensity Cardio?
Low-intensity cardio, also known as LISS cardio, is an aerobic exercise that keeps your heart rate between 60-75% of your maximum. For some people, this might mean a simple walk on a treadmill or a slow jog outside, while others can get away with riding the stationary bike at the gym. All you have to do is finish a session feeling like you could keep on going.
Low-Intensity Cardio Benefits
- LISS Cardio Prevents Muscle Loss
If you’re looking to lose weight, a slow and steady approach with a little bit of resistance training will yield the best results. LISS cardio, even at a lower intensity, can help you maintain muscle mass while dropping fat.
- LISS Cardio Burns More Calories Than High-Intensity Cardio
If you’re looking to burn more calories, LISS cardio offers the greatest bang for your buck. Even though it’s lower in intensity, you can get more accomplished in less time. This ends up being beneficial when your goal is to cut down on fat while maintaining muscle mass.
- LISS Cardio Boosts Metabolism
If you’ve been wondering the best workout to boost your metabolism, LISS cardio beats out HIIT every time. Even though it’s at a lower intensity, it can help you burn up more calories throughout the day. This means you may even be able to eat a little bit more without gaining fat.
- LISS Cardio Prevents Injury
Getting a little bit of cardio doesn’t just help prevent injury; it’s beneficial to those who might already have an existing condition or have been injured in the past. A slow pace allows for slower movements which mean you’re less likely to re-injure yourself.
- LISS Cardio Prevents Muscle Atrophy
Muscle atrophies when your muscles don’t have enough stimulus to continue developing. This means that if you’re sitting on the couch all day watching the TV or aren’t getting out and moving around very often, you might notice a loss in muscle mass.
- LISS Cardio Trains Your Body to Burn Fat
So, you’re not killing yourself on the treadmill for 60 minutes per day, but muscle loss isn’t the only bad thing that can happen when you do HIIT or long-duration cardio. It is possible to burn muscle mass and increase stress levels, especially if your goal is to lose weight fast.
- LISS Cardio Increases Flexibility
Aerobic exercise is great for increasing flexibility and mobility. Having more flexible muscles will help you with many everyday activities like climbing stairs, picking up heavy objects, and even sitting in your office chair.
- LISS Cardio Increases Bone Density
Again, another benefit of aerobic activity is that it helps strengthen bones. Even though you can’t do HIIT or long-duration cardiovascular activity, walking 20-30 minutes per day may be enough to prevent osteoporosis.
- LISS Cardio Improves Blood Circulation
A slow aerobic pace is beneficial for increasing blood flow throughout the body. This means improved delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and removing metabolic waste from the body.
- LISS Cardio Lowers Blood Pressure
People with high blood pressure may benefit from aerobic activity, even at a lower intensity. By keeping your heart rate between 60-75% of your max, you can improve circulation, which helps lower blood pressure.
Low-Intensity Cardio Drawbacks
- LISS Cardio Decreases Testosterone Levels
If you’re trying to maximize muscle mass and growth, you might want to hold off on the LISS cardio, especially after a workout. While it’s not as severe as HIIT, it can still decrease your testosterone levels, inhibiting muscle growth.
- LISS Cardio Doesn’t Burn as Many Calories as HIIT Or a Long Duration Workout
If your goal is to burn the possible calories in the shortest time possible, HIIT or long-duration cardio might be a better choice. While you may be able to eat more if you do low intensity, HIIT or high intensity may be a better choice if you’re trying to lose weight.
- LISS Cardio Doesn’t Improve Conditioning or Breath Control as Much
If the only reason you’re doing cardio is for a conditioning, performance, or competitive advantage, then HIIT or long-duration cardiovascular exercise would probably be your best bet. However, if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain cardiovascular health, low intensity is probably your best bet.
- LISS Cardio Doesn’t Build Muscle
Again, this isn’t for everyone, but if your goal is to build Muscle, long-duration cardiovascular exercise may be a better choice. While you might not burn as many calories with HIIT, it can still help improve strength and muscle growth.
Low-Intensity Cardio vs. HIIT Cardio
- HIIT Combines Both Anaerobic and Aerobic Exercises
HIIT is a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, making it the most effective cardiovascular activity. This makes HIIT cardio more beneficial than low intensity because it does both aerobic and anaerobic exercises quickly.
- HIIT Can Burn Up To 10x More Calories
Because you’re doing both aerobic and anaerobic exercises, you can burn up to 10x more calories than LISS cardio. This makes HIIT the most effective type of cardiovascular activity for weight loss and conditioning purposes.
- Used For Fat Loss, Conditioning, and Athletic Performance
HIIT is used for losing weight and conditioning because it can maximize caloric output in a short amount of time. While you may burn more calories with long-duration cardiovascular exercise, the volume isn’t as high as HIIT, meaning you have to spend more time exercising. HIIT was also shown to improve athletic performance better than LISS cardio.
- HIIT Can Build Muscle Too
While LISS cardio is good for cardiovascular health, HIIT can also help improve muscle growth. This makes HIIT even better than low intensity since you’re getting the benefits of both types of exercise in one workout.
Conclusion
If your goal is to lose weight, improve conditioning, or improve athletic performance, HIIT cardio would probably be the best option.
If you’re more interested in maintaining cardiovascular health and building muscle without losing too much recovery time, then low-intensity cardio would be a better choice.
