Cardio Basics

Hi Mummis,

This week we’re talking about cardio. There’s a lot of confusing, contradictory information online, and it’s easy to feel like you’re either not doing enough or doing it “wrong.”

So today I want to answer a few simple but important questions:

• Why is cardio important?

• What does it do for me now?

• What will it do for me long term?

• Why do I need both cardio and strength training?

• What is the minimum amount I can do to get results?

• And how can I get started without burning myself out?

When it comes to cardio, most women fall into one of two camps. Either they’re doing way too much, or they’re avoiding it altogether. But cardio doesn’t have to mean long runs or spin classes five days a week. In fact, many of the biggest health benefits come from a small, consistent dose.

Let’s break it down.

The Minimum Effective Dose of Cardio

For women between 25 and 55, the minimum effective dose of cardio is about 75–150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity. Another way to think about this is roughly 20–30 minutes, three to five days per week.

That’s it.

This movement doesn’t need to happen in long blocks. It can be broken into shorter sessions, mixed intensities, or even accumulated through daily life. Walking counts. Chasing kids counts. A short jog or bike ride absolutely counts.

Consistency is what matters here.

Immediate Benefits

Sometimes it helps to know the immediate payoff when you’re trying to build a new habit. Cardio isn’t just a long-term investment — it gives you real, noticeable benefits quickly.

When you introduce regular cardio into your routine, many moms notice:

• Improved mood and reduced anxiety

• Better sleep quality

• Increased energy later in the day

• Improved blood sugar regulation

• Stress relief through nervous system regulation

Most people report feeling emotionally steadier and mentally clearer after just 10–15 minutes of movement.

Long-Term Benefits: Disease Prevention & Longevity

If you’re someone who likes to understand the long game, you’re not alone.

Over time, consistent cardio significantly lowers the risk of:

• Heart disease (still the #1 cause of death in women)

• Type 2 diabetes

• Stroke

• High blood pressure

• Cognitive decline

• Certain cancers

• Depression and anxiety disorders

Beyond disease prevention, cardio improves how your body functions at a cellular level.

One of the biggest benefits is improved mitochondrial health. Mitochondria are essentially the power plants inside your cells. They produce the energy your body runs on. When your mitochondria are healthy and plentiful, you tend to have more day-to-day energy, recover better from workouts and stress, regulate blood sugar more efficiently, and experience slower physical aging overall. Healthy mitochondria are linked to better endurance, metabolic health, brain function, and healthier tissues.

If your goal is to look and feel younger for longer, supporting mitochondrial health through cardio is one of the most effective tools we have.

Cardio also improves lung capacity, metabolic flexibility (your body’s ability to use both fat and carbohydrates efficiently), and hormonal resilience during perimenopause and menopause.

Think of cardio as insurance for your future self and for your family.

Do you want to be mentally and physically able to enjoy your grandchildren? Maintain independence as long as possible? Feel strong, capable, and youthful as you age? Investing in a cardio practice now makes those outcomes far more likely.

Why Cardio and Strength Training Matter for Longevity

This part is important: cardio and strength training do different jobs in the body. That’s why we need both.

Cardio strengthens your heart, lungs, blood vessels, and metabolic system.

Strength training protects muscle mass, bone density, joints, and insulin sensitivity.

If you only do cardio, you may slowly lose muscle over time, bone density can decline, and injury risk increases. You might be lean and capable of long workouts, but without sufficient muscle you’re more vulnerable to recurring issues like tendon pain, stress fractures, and age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), which significantly increases health risks as we age.

If you only lift weights and skip cardio, a different set of problems can show up. In real life, this often looks like someone who feels strong in the gym but gets winded climbing stairs, struggles with endurance during hikes or vacations, recovers poorly from stress, or has less-than-ideal blood pressure and cholesterol markers. Their muscles are strong, but their heart and metabolic systems haven’t been trained to support daily life demands.

For longevity, independence, and quality of life, we need strength and cardiovascular capacity working together.

Top Cardio Modalities

The best cardio is the one you’ll actually do consistently. Great options include:

• Walking (especially brisk walks or hills)

• Jogging or run/walk intervals

• Hiking

• Cycling (outdoor or stationary)

• Swimming

• Rowing

• Elliptical

• Dancing

• Group fitness classes

There’s no hierarchy here. If it raises your heart rate and you’ll repeat it, it works.

How to Start

If you’re new to cardio or returning after a break, start small. Ten to twenty minutes, two to three times per week is plenty. Keep the intensity at a level where you can still talk, focus on frequency before duration, and stop before you feel wiped out.

Progress happens when your body feels safe, not punished.

How to Increase Cardio Safely

Once you’re consistent, progress slowly. Add five minutes at a time, increase one session per week, or gently raise intensity through hills, pace, or resistance. Mixing easier days with harder days helps your body adapt without breaking down.

One key rule: avoid increasing volume and intensity at the same time. That’s where burnout and injury tend to live.

How to Make Cardio Fun

If cardio feels like punishment, it won’t last. Pair it with podcasts, audiobooks, or music you love. Walk with a friend. Change locations: the beach, trails, or a new neighborhood. Use short intervals so time passes faster. Choose activities that feel playful!

Stack movement into daily life too, like after-dinner walks or walking during school drop-off.

The Takeaway

You don’t need extreme workouts to be healthy.

A small, consistent dose of cardio improves mood and energy, reduces disease risk, supports hormones and metabolism, and works best alongside strength training.

Your body is built to move, Mummis 💜

If you’re curious how to merge strength training and cardio, I have a free course, The Calm-Mom Couch to 5K Challenge. You can find it here:

And if you’re already doing both but want help leveling up, our coaching program is here for you. We currently have a short waitlist, but you can book a free consult here:

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Have a wonderful week,
Sam