The Worst Cardio Habits That Will Hasten Your Aging, According to a Trainer

Making time for cardio in your daily schedule is a requirement, not a question. This type of exercise can enhance your heart and joint health as well as the health of your lungs, pancreas, and blood, as well as the quality of your sleep. Oh, and prepare for massive mood and energy improvements! You should make sure to do the perfect amount of cardio and include the right exercises in your program whether you're bicycling, running, swimming, or even jumping rope for various reasons. If you don't, you could be harming your body more than helping it if you don't. For instance, you should look into the following cardio practices that speed up your aging.

Rob Wagener, a NASM-certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, was the one we spoke with, and he gave us the harmful cardio behaviors you need to stop doing right away. Get ready to dump them after reading on to learn more.

1 You're going hard every time

High-intensity cardio, according to Wagener, is a terrific method to "get the heart rate and blood pumping" and will help you lose weight, but it's vital to be mindful that it can put stress on your body.

"Low-intensity cardio, such as walking or slow running, can yield calorie-burning weight loss results while giving your body a break from fast-paced activities," says Wagener. "Just like a car, running it at 100 mph all the time might seem like a good time, but it will eventually lead to a faster breakdown of the essential parts and more likely lead to more frequent injuries."

2 You're doing too much lower-body cardio

Running, stair climbing, and treadmill workouts are typically the first things that come to mind when you think about cardio. The muscles that are working hard can be shaped and toned with these activities. That's great, but Wagener advises against overusing the lower body's cardiovascular system at the expense of the upper body's conditioning.

Therefore, don't forget to take care of your upper body as well! You can accomplish this by looking for "ways to elevate your heart rate through upper body movements," according to Wagener. If you want to use cardio to train your upper body, battle ropes are a great tool. You can also pick up a set of light dumbbells, which Wagener claims will work more quickly and produce the desired effects. Remember that cardio is a total-body opportunity when exercising, says Wagener.

3 You're harming your joints with high-impact cardio

If you've ever experienced sore joints or regularly deal with joint discomfort, you know it's a problem that unquestionably makes you feel older. As noted by Wagener, "Joint pain is the single biggest factor in speeding up aging. It is not enjoyable to be in constant pain or to have restricted joint motion."

It's crucial to avoid damaging your joints by engaging in too much of the incorrect kind of exercise because of this. According to Wagener, low-impact cardio can be just as beneficial to your health as high-impact cardio while putting less strain and stress on your joints.

For instance, instead of using the treadmill occasionally, think about using an elliptical machine. What about a workout that takes place in the water if it doesn't interest you? Swimming is a fantastic total-body, low-impact aerobic workout that is easy on your joints and will have you burning calories, as Wagener explains.

4 You're not wearing sun protection when doing outdoor cardio

According to Wagener, getting in your strides outside is one of the finest kind of cardio workouts when it comes to working out outside because of the health advantages and general enjoyment. But this last one is a big no-no when it comes to the cardio habits that are making you age faster.

Wagener warns: "The skin might be severely damaged by the sun. Long-term excessive sun exposure can cause sunburn, wrinkled skin, accelerated skin aging, and even worse, skin cancer."

He emphasizes wearing appropriate protection to "defend your skin from the elements" in order to avoid these problems. In this manner, burning calories won't come at the expense of your skin's health.Don't forget your sunscreen!