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I have just started exercising again after a couple years living a dispecable sedentary lifestyle.
I am in a new part of the country and have miles apon miles of moutain hiking trails on my dead end road. I normally take my daughter for walks useing her stroller during the day and walk her to the park. Then in the later part of the day I put her on my back (useing a carrier) and we take a 2-3hour long hike.
I want to do more!! Hike longer, run more!! There isn't a limit I should put onto how much cardio I do right??
I guess there's probably some potential limit beyond which exercise would strain the body enough to do more harm than good, but that would be a looooooot of exercise. For the kind of exercise you're talking about, the key point is to increase the distance and/or intensity of your hikes gradually. Build up too quickly, and you risk injury, which in the long term may slow down your progress. Work up to more demanding exercise gradually but steadily, and you should be able to just keep doing more and more until you feel you're at the right intensity.
Congratulations on making this turn in your life and resolving to get some physical activity.
Slowly add on distance/time. Just listen to your body and tone it down if you start getting blisters, shin splints, knee pains, or any other kind of pains.
There's got to be a limit to every exercise you do. Even professionals have a daily schedule for their workouts. You cannot just go on and on and on. Why not consult a gym instructor for proper guidance, he can guide according to your body frame.
Location: Prescott Valley, Az (unfortunately still here)
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There is a rise in exercise addiction, where people are working out more than 2 times a day and never miss a day. That's not really healthy. Though 2 times is okay, if you have the time (which most people don't because of work, tending after their children, etc., etc.), but just 1 time a day is really sufficient for the body to stay healthy and function correctly. But it can be an addiction that can cause health problems.
A grown adult only need 30-60 min. a day, that's all.
It's like the saying goes "too much of a good thing can hurt you and too little of a good thing can hurt you too".
I have just started exercising again after a couple years living a dispecable sedentary lifestyle.
I am in a new part of the country and have miles apon miles of moutain hiking trails on my dead end road. I normally take my daughter for walks useing her stroller during the day and walk her to the park. Then in the later part of the day I put her on my back (useing a carrier) and we take a 2-3hour long hike.
I want to do more!! Hike longer, run more!! There isn't a limit I should put onto how much cardio I do right??
The limit should be dictated by what your body is telling you. In the fitness world, there's a fear of cardio causing muscle loss. IMO, this originates with bodybuilders who are generally terrified of losing muscle so they've made people afraid to do cardio. But if all you're doing is hiking and some running, it's hard to imagine you're doing too much. The human body was meant to move, not sit at a desk all day. Just pay attention to how you feel. If you're doing too much cardio, your body will let you know.
A grown adult only need 30-60 min. a day, that's all.
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That's not true. 30 mins a day will not burn off enough calories if one is not fit which most Americans aren't and 30 mins doesn't build up much endurance. If a person is capable of doing over 60 mins of exercise or exercising twice a day then do it. Its silly to set 30-60 mins as a maximum for the simple fact just a few decades ago people worked on farms doing hard physical labor 12+ hours a day.
I have just started exercising again after a couple years living a dispecable sedentary lifestyle.
I am in a new part of the country and have miles apon miles of moutain hiking trails on my dead end road. I normally take my daughter for walks useing her stroller during the day and walk her to the park. Then in the later part of the day I put her on my back (useing a carrier) and we take a 2-3hour long hike.
I want to do more!! Hike longer, run more!! There isn't a limit I should put onto how much cardio I do right??
Have you thought about doing a marathon or ultramarathon event? It sounds like you are someone who really enjoys long distance, endurance activities. If you love doing it, then go for it. It's only too much if you are finding yourself injured, or run down. As long as your nutrition is good and you listen to your body, I think you should continue to increase your distance.
I have just started exercising again after a couple years living a dispecable sedentary lifestyle.
I am in a new part of the country and have miles apon miles of moutain hiking trails on my dead end road. I normally take my daughter for walks useing her stroller during the day and walk her to the park. Then in the later part of the day I put her on my back (useing a carrier) and we take a 2-3hour long hike.
I want to do more!! Hike longer, run more!! There isn't a limit I should put onto how much cardio I do right??
Ah, you have my dream lifestyle--you drink margaritas and you have access to miles and miles of hiking trails--can it get any better than that? And I hate to be the one to point this out, but may I suggest that you get a nice big dog and take it with you on your hikes? Sometimes bad people hang out in these places, and I'd hate for anything to happen to you while you're trying to get healthy. Otherwise I think you'll be fine with whatever amount you want to do--people in the old days walked most of everywhere they went--it's not like cars are healthier.
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And I hate to be the one to point this out, but may I suggest that you get a nice big dog and take it with you on your hikes? Sometimes bad people hang out in these places, and I'd hate for anything to happen to you while you're trying to get healthy. Otherwise I think you'll be fine with whatever amount you want to do--people in the old days walked most of everywhere they went--it's not like cars are healthier.
