Story Content

Training makes muscles, bones, and raw strength. But cardiovascular fitness—the ability of your heart and lungs to distribute oxygen effectively with sustained exercise—declines when consistently missed with cardio. You might be huffing up three flights of stairs, saying that you are fit.

Fat Loss Slows Down

Cardio not only burns calories but also increases your metabolism hours after the session. In its absence, losing fat becomes more difficult, particularly in the middle. Lifting develops muscle (increases resting metabolism), but the amount of caloric increase per session is less. The outcome: gaining of muscles with fat being hard to come by—what is popularly referred to as "reverse skinny fat" or "bulkiness with no definition."

Heart Health Suffers

The heart is a muscle, too—and it takes aerobic exercise to keep it steady. Devoid of cardio, resting heart rate can maintain elevated rates, arteries become less flexible over time, and VO₂ max (one of the most important indicators of cardiovascular health and longevity) is low. Low VO2 max is consistently associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease even among muscular individuals.

Recovery Takes Longer

Cardio enhances better blood flow, which removes metabolic wastes (such as lactic acid) in muscles at a more rapid speed. Skipping cardio, lifters may find recovery time between workouts to be slower, increased soreness, and worse workouts in the long run.

Blood pressure is high.

Heavy lifting—particularly in the absence of aerobic conditioning—may be associated with an increase in blood pressure in the long term. One of the most useful natural remedies for keeping the blood pressure at bay is cardio.

Gaps in Mental Health and Endurance.

Endorphin cardio is the only exercise to trigger the release of endorphins and lower cortisol (stress hormone) better than strength training alone. Failing to do it at all risks the failure to enjoy the mood-regulating, anxiety-reducing effects of aerobic workouts.