Light cardio allows the joints of the body to stay warm and lubricated. It can also help burn body fat. They type of activity is pretty much your choice but common ones are stationary bicycle, riding a real bike or just walking. The latter two are the least expensive and most appealing because you don’t have to join a gym to perform them.

If you are recovering from a specific injury, the stationary bicycle may be a better choice as you can control the loading. Riding outside you will encounter hills, wind resistance and other factors that may not be optimal for injury recovery. Riding indoors helps you concentrate on working the injured area and is more convenient if you have to stop for other treatments.

Whichever one you choose 20 minutes should be enough for recovery benefits. Include 5 minutes warm-up and warm-down, giving you a 30 minute activity.

Light Cardio Activity Won’t Melt Your Muscles

A lot of people reel in horror at the mention of cardio work. Too many have been influenced by bodybuilding literature that suggest all your body’s muscle will somehow melt away if you stand on a treadmill. This is just rubbish. 30 minutes of light cardio work will not burn away all your muscle. It will, in fact, enhance the muscle building effect allowing your body to grow stronger and fitter.

If your goal is fat loss you can still stick to the 30 minute time and use interval training instead of light cardio. The stationary bike is excellent for this and again, your body’s muscle will not disappear overnight.

Scientific Research

There has been some excellent research come out recently regarding interval training from researchers at the University of New South Wales and the Garvan Institute. They studied a group of overweight women, putting them through a 20 minute cycling regime in which they sprinted on a stationary bike for 8 seconds followed by 12 seconds of cycling lightly. The women performed the workout three times a week for 15 weeks.

The result of the study was that they lost three times more weight than other women who exercised at a continuous, regular pace for 40 minutes. One of the scientists, Professor Steve Boutcher, believes the regime would also be applicable to swimming, walking, running and rowing.

So don’t be afraid of cardio activity. It is a great recovery tool that goes hand in hand with all the other techniques mentioned here.

Tags: active recovery, health and fitness, light cardio activity