Is doing 30 min cardio 3-4 times a week enough to see improvements?

[ladyinjury1818]

I'm 22 and I've been quite sedentary most of my life. Now though I'm planning a 2 months trip this fall where there'll be a lot of walking involved together with some hiking and swimming. I'd like to get fitter by the end of September so to make the most out of my trip.

What I've been doing for this past month is either jumping rope or using my stationary bike 3-4 times a week for about half an hour. I'll usually add 10 more minutes of light weight lift for my arms and at the moment that's my entire work-out for the day.

I'm not sure I can tell how intense an exercise the biking and jumping are but I do sweat a lot and I'm quite exhausted by the end of it, which is why I've been only doing 30 minutes.

Is this enough to see any progress in the span of three months?

The only other thing I do is going on longer (at least 1 hour) walks once or twice a week. Otherwise I sadly sit at my desk or on the couch but if anyone has any tips I could try to do more.

 

[christian_pt]

@ladyinjury1818 Definitely yes.

Keep doing it and keep pushing the difficulty and you will see steady progress. I did the exact same thing (was 7 times a week but started at 20 minutes and then progressed to 30, then 40) and kept going. If you keep pushing the difficulty you're progress will remain steady for quite some time, enough time for you to notice the difference both physically and mentally. The progress will motivate you further.

Don't worry about diet or food intake, you can consistently see results doing 30 minutes (hard) cardio daily (5x per week) and still eat however you were eating before.

 

[tangaloor]

@ladyinjury1818 Add some weight training in. a little consistency with weights can make a big difference

 

[imqer]

@ladyinjury1818 I would start with hills first. Do some walking and crawling and see how you do with that first

 

[dawn16]

@ladyinjury1818 I run 3-5 times a week but my sessions are pretty long (1-2 hours each time) and my VO2 max improved significantly after a month of training.

Not just VO2 max but my resting heart rate was 70-80 before running and now it is low 50s. That happened also within a month or two of running.

I also seem to have less sugar or junk food cravings, sleep better and have better proportions. So for me yes it absolutely is enough! In many ways 3-4x is better than 5-7 because you can build a lot of recovery into that training timeline

 

[dawn16]

@ladyinjury1818 if you’re doing nothing right now and you are sedentary, you will absolutely see progress with just cardio. Your heart will be stronger and your body will be more toned

 

[tejwinder]

@ladyinjury1818 Absolutely

 

[cheryl_trinitarian]

@ladyinjury1818 Just wanted to throw in a recommendation for the C25k program. It's a free app and it will guide you each workout by gradually increasing your running time, and within 8 weeks you'll be running 5 km. You can do this on top of long walks on other days

 

[christianwolf]

@ladyinjury1818 I think it's a great start! I bet you'll start doing more once you get more into it and feel like you can do more. I started with only doing 15 minute walks on the treadmill. 5 months later I'm doing 3x HIIT a week, 2x light lifting a week, cardio every day 20 - 45 minutes depending how I'm feeling, and 3x reformer pilates a week. Plus I'm out every day being active with the kids, going on walks, skateboarding, basketball, etc.

Keep doing what you're doing and see how you go!

 

[crosswalk1991]

@ladyinjury1818 I agree with adding long walks.

I recommend structuring it a little differently.
Day 1: at least 30 minutes incline on treadmill. This is INTENSE and it will prepare you for the hiking.
Day 2: Rest.
Day 3: Swim about 25-50 laps.
Day 4: Rest.
Day 5: stationary bike or jump rope.
Day 6: rest
Day 7: arm and core exercises for at least 30 minutes. Even body exercise type of Strength training is good. Push-ups, planks, sit-ups, and if you have a pull-up bar, dips, bicep curls, and tricep extensions. Do 3 sets of 8-10 each and feel free to pick and choose what you want to do.

 

[ladyinjury1818]

@crosswalk1991 That's really helpful as I had just thought about doing generic cardio but not specifically the kind of cardio I'd need for my trip. Sadly swimming and treadmill are not things I can do regularly as gym memberships in my area are very expensive while the bike and jump rope I have here at home. I'll make sure to walk more though, maybe even go on a few hikes and go to the pool at least a few times over the summer.

Strength training has always been what I was most intimidate about when trying to talk myself into starting to exercise but you're right, I might just give it a go.

Thank you so much for the great advice!

 

[divinedipsie]

@ladyinjury1818 In short, yes, you will likely see improvements.

I'd recommend doing the activities you plan to do on your trip: walking, hiking, and swimming. IMHO, that would give you the best results [results being better equipped for the activities you'll be doing on your trip.] With that said, doing any activity is better than nothing. Just find something you enjoy.

I'd also recommend tossing in some calisthenics/bodyweight exercises, if you feel up to it. Squats, lunges, calf raises, etc might help. Doesn't need to be complicated. And feel free to modify the exercises to suit your needs. Eg. Try half squats or quarter squats. I like to incorporate bodyweight exercises into my daily life. Eg when I brush my teeth, I do calf raises.