The Advantages of Cardio Twice a Day

Regular physical activity has many health benefits, including improved heart health, better sleep, and better mood. Spreading your cardio throughout the week by exercising twice a day can be easier than trying to fit it in all at once.

Cardio Recommendations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends getting 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity, aerobic activity per week.

You can break up this activity into shorter sessions throughout the week, such as doing cardio exercises twice a day.

For example, you might walk your dog 15 minutes twice a day rather than one 30-minute session. You can also combine moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities to reach the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.

For even greater health benefits, you can increase your activity level to the equivalent of 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

Moderate-intensity aerobic activities include:

• brisk walking
• gardening
• yoga
• cycling

Vigorous-intensity activities include:

• jogging or running
• swimming laps
• tennis
• jumping rope

Benefits of Cardio Exercise

However you're able to fit it in, cardio offers numerous health benefits.

Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart, allowing it to pump blood more efficiently throughout your body. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, it can also help:

• lower blood pressure
• regulate blood sugar
• improve sleep
• maintain or reduce your weight
• reduce your risk of chronic disease

Another benefit of aerobic exercise is its ability to boost your mood.

According to Harvard Health, sustained lower-intensity exercise can alleviate symptoms of depression by improving nerve connectivity in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that helps regulate mood. Additionally, higher-intensity exercise, like running, releases "feel good" chemicals called endorphins into the body.

This means that regular cardio, even twice a day for 15 minutes, can benefit your brain.

Cardio for Weight Loss

Breaking your cardio into smaller, twice-daily sessions can help you stick to an exercise routine if you're trying to lose weight. Easing into the process by exercising for 10 to 15 minutes at a time can feel more manageable than longer, less frequent activity.

As your endurance improves, you may find it easier to exercise for 30 minutes at a time. Eventually, you may even be able to increase to the equivalent of 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

Tips and Safety

When increasing your physical activity level, it's important not to overtrain. Overtaining increases your risk of injuries like muscle strains and sprains and joint injuries, according to Cleveland Clinic.

To avoid overtraining, limit your vigorous workouts to one or two days per week, or alternate with moderate-intensity exercise. For example, you could go for a run in the morning and take a walk in the evening.

Rest is also important when exercising. Make sure to get adequate sleep and take at least one full day off from vigorous exercise per week to recover. On rest days, you can switch to a moderate activity like walking.