What Counts As Cardio (and What Doesn’t)
Cardio is good for us. We need both cardio and strength training for health and to achieve athletic goals. But what actually counts as cardio? Can you count the walks? Lifting weights? Anything to keep you in the right zone? Let me break this down.
What is the definition of cardio?
Trick question! “Cardio” is a nickname for a certain rough category of exercise. You’ll find different definitions of this exercise depending on who you ask, and many studies on the benefits of cardio simply refer to it as “exercise.”
The Physical Activity Guide for Americans describes aerobic activity, or cardio, as follows:
The large muscles of the body move rhythmically over long periods of time. Examples include brisk walking, running, cycling, jumping rope and swimming. Aerobic activity causes a person’s heart to beat faster and they breathe more heavily than usual.
Most fitness professionals would agree. So, the key components are:
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Works large muscles (like your legs; you can’t achieve cardio by literally twirling your thumbs)
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Rhythmic (like when you pedal a bicycle hundreds of revolutions)
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Can be sustained (like a 20-minute bike ride, but unlike a set of 10 squats)
This definition includes walking, running, cycling, swimming, and using machines such as a rowing machine, elliptical machine, or stair machine at the gym.
Is there a specific heart rate or zone that is considered cardio?
No, there is no strict line between what is considered cardio and what is not. The guidelines I quote above consider “moderate” intensity cardio to be the minimum to aim for, but this is not defined in terms of heart rate. Here I explain what “moderate” actually means , but in short: anything that requires effort while walking at a normal pace (about 20 minutes per mile) is moderate.
I know this isn’t the answer you were hoping to find, so here’s another fact: The American Heart Association says moderate exercise equals 50-70% of your maximum heart rate . (Energetic – 70-85%)
Most of us don’t actually know our true maximum heart rate, and formulas like “220 minus your age” are inaccurate . So take this with a grain of salt. It’s more helpful to consider how exercise feels : at moderate levels, you’ll breathe heavier than when you’re at rest, you’ll probably sweat a little, and your heart rate will be noticeably higher than when you’re sitting quietly. You don’t have to be out of breath; moderate exercises are conversational in the sense that you can literally have a friendly conversation while doing them.
If you want to reap the health benefits of cardio, you may want to pay more attention to intensity. Moderate exercise is good, but combining it with vigorous exercise (when you’re struggling and you can’t speak in full sentences) can also be helpful. Norwegian 4×4 is an accessible cardio workout that requires a lot of vigorous work.
Does walking count as cardio?
Yes, in the sense that it meets the minimum requirements. This is a moderate intensity exercise and counts towards the number of minutes per week (regardless of what your heart rate is during the exercise).
But if you have fitness goals, walking alone probably isn’t enough to achieve them . If walking seems easy to you, you’ll probably want to increase the intensity to get a better cardio workout. The next step is jogging or playing sports .
Does lifting weights count as cardio?
No, lifting weights does not count as cardio (with a few exceptions, which I’ll get to in a minute). Remember, cardio should be rhythmic and continuous. If you don’t do the same movement over and over again for, say, 10 minutes, it’s not cardio. So doing three sets of 10 reps on the chest press is definitely not cardio.
And no, I won’t change my answer depending on what your heart rate monitor says. Your heart rate only measures the intensity of your cardio exercise if you are doing cardio exercise . Strength training is still strength training (not cardio) no matter what zone your heart rate is in .
So what are these exceptions that I mentioned? Weight-bearing exercise can be considered cardio if it meets the definition: rhythmic and sustained. Most people don’t do this! But if you’re training for a half marathon with kettlebells , which is 30 minutes of continuous lifting of a light weight (you can’t lower the weight until the time is up), then yes, that’s cardio.
I would also classify stair training with kettlebells as a form of cardio. I do this with a caveat – it’s not continuous for a full 30 minutes, but then again, there’s not much interval training either. The kettlebell swing is definitely rhythmic and uses large muscles, and the workout is designed to keep your breathing and heart rate faster than normal most of the time. I’ll allow it.
What other exercises are considered cardio?
I’ve already given a few examples, but let me give you a longer list of activities that are definitely cardio exercise if you do them in any normal way (steady state or interval training, especially if the interval activity involves active rest like walking).
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Run, jog, or jog/walk intervals (indoors or outdoors)
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Cycling (indoor or outdoor)
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Rowing machine
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Rowing on a small boat
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Jumping rope
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Dancing (truly the most underrated form of home cardio )
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Stairmaster or Stepmill machines
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Climbing machines such as Jacob’s Ladder or Versaclimber.
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Elliptical trainers
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Swimming
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Roller skating or roller skating
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Yard work or chores that require constant movement (such as pushing a lawnmower or shoveling snow)
I have a list of cardio options that goes into much more detail about many of the above, as well as a list of household chores and recreational activities that may also make a difference (though many are moderate, like walking).
I hope these examples will help you choose an exercise. However, if you have specific athletic goals (such as running a 5K or taking a fitness test before work), you may want to look into a workout program that targets those goals.