My Story: Dangers of Pure Cardio Training

This one is for the ladies! I am going to tell my story to the potential dangers of excessive cardio training you might not be aware of so that you do not put your health in jeopardy.

I confess I used to be one of the girls who never thought about touching weights. In my head, pure cardio was all that I needed to stay trim and slim.

As a competitive runner my training consisted of A LOT of endurance based exercises like swimming and running for hours a week. I had a narrow mindset and never thought twice about incorporating other training methods to make me a stronger and faster runner. I was super dedicated to running whenever I could and didn't think much about nutrition. I was training intensively, constantly pushing myself to run for as long and as fast I coulds to the point I got secondary amenorrhea. Although this is hardly a new issue for athletes, my competitive edge and naivety thought of this as a sign that my missing periods was evidence of my hard work, and that having a low body fat percentage equated to being faster but this couldn't be further from the truth. What I didn't know back then was that my body was unable to produce enough oestrogen, which meant that it was taking calcium from my bones. In the long run, this could lead to stress fractures and broken bones.

I stopped training this way after I finished all my races in my final year of high school because I knew it wasn't sustainable. I was lucky to get my period back after reducing my miles but who knows what the consequences would have been if I had carried on like this. Yes I was slim and regarded as 'fit' because I can run quite well but this approach could've resulted in negative consequences.

Listen to the signs your body tells you and do not overlook them just because you think you look and feel fine.

Yes I was certainly slim and even underweight whilst I was competitively running (no surprise here- just look at the figures of long-distance runners) but if you are aiming to get that toned physique, cardio exercise alone is useless. Let me break it to you now so you don't waste your time running hours on end. If you train this way you are NEVER going to get that fit body you've been yearning for. And you CAN get it. You just have to train smart.

Hours of cardio and eating less can result in weight loss but it doesn't result in fat loss.

You are likely to be losing muscle mass and water weight. Is this what you want to do to your body? Cardio exercise alone can increase cortisol levels (a stress hormone) which has in studies been linked to weight gain and increases appetite, so results-wise, it can be counter-productive as you may end up eating more than usual.

Doing cardio can be a great weight loss tool but doing it excessively is not going to give you the results for that fit lean body.

The best way to get the beach body you want is with a healthy diet, lifting weights and a bit of cardio. These are the basic rules to successful weight loss. Lifting weights is not going to make you bulky. I myself fell victim to this myth and was initially hesitant to lift weights with my naturally small frame but I couldn't be more grateful to fall in love training this way. I am more toned than ever and more confident in my body. It certainly took me time to change my mindset so for you beginners out there, I understand where you are coming from. But trust in me, keep going and you will see and feel the benefits.

Having more muscle mass means having a higher metabolism so you burn more calories even whilst your doing nothing. It's a win-win situation.

Just to show a case in point that cardio is not going to give you the results here is my body transformation before and after lifting weights...

Here's what I look like when I was underrating and just doing cardio training.

Here's what I look like now eating healthy most of the time, weight training and incorporating cardio into my workouts.

If you have been thinking about incorporating weight training into your routine, now is the right time to start. It is NEVER too late.

I hope this post was insightful and helpful. Please do feel free to leave comments and ask questions below. I will be so happy to hear your thoughts on this topic and more- whatever comes to your mind, as I am here to share my thoughts. :)

Mia Kay x

Mia Kay Fitness