![\"man](\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/15115807\/liss-cardio-600-jogging.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nPerhaps you\u2019re looking for something to speed your recovery between intense workouts \u2014 something that will give you an exercise fix but not leave you drenched in sweat.<\/p>\n
Or maybe\u00a0high-intensity training\u00a0isn\u2019t on your radar, and you just want something that will put you on the fitness fast track without crushing your will to work out.<\/p>\n
Either way, low-intensity steady-state cardio \u2014 a.k.a LISS cardio \u2014 might be the perfect addition to your weekly\u00a0exercise routine.<\/p>\n
LISS stands for \u201clow-intensity steady-state,\u201d and LISS cardio refers to aerobic activity sustained at a moderate intensity for an extended period, during which your\u00a0heart rate won\u2019t creep above about 60 percent of your max.<\/p>\n
Breaking down the term, \u201clow-intensity\u201d means that it gets your blood pumping without having a significant impact on your breathing rate, and \u201csteady-state\u201d means that it\u2019s done at a continuous, unchanging pace. That means you\u2019re not stopping and starting, or pushing really hard and then slowing down.<\/p>\n
LISS cardio can encompass a number of activities, including walking, jogging, and easy swimming and cycling. It exists at the other side of the cardio spectrum from high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which is the kind of max-effort workout that tests your endurance and taxes your strength and power.<\/p>\n
For an activity to be considered LISS, it generally needs to be sustained for at least 30 minutes. (HIIT, by contrast, alternates between short bursts of intense activity and rest periods, with the former typically lasting no more than two minutes.)<\/p>\n
It can be! It all depends on the intensity of your run.<\/p>\n
You shouldn\u2019t go above 60 percent of your maximum heart rate if you want a run to count as LISS cardio.<\/p>\n
If you can hold a conversation easily, then you\u2019re exercising at the right intensity. But if you find yourself breathing heavily, then you need to slow down.<\/p>\n
In short, jogging is LISS. Doing hills, intervals, threshold runs, tempo training, and speed work is not.<\/p>\n
So what\u2019s better: a gentle hike or a round of Job 1 with Jennifer Jacobs?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether you should focus on LISS or HITT really depends on your fitness level and where you are on your fitness journey,\u201d says Trevor Thieme, C.S.C.S.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re\u00a0new to exercising\u00a0or have\u00a0a lot of weight to lose, a high-intensity workout might be too challenging.<\/p>\n
LISS cardio offers a more approachable way to establish a\u00a0workout routine, improve cardiovascular health, and build a strong fitness foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re already in decent shape, however, LISS cardio shouldn\u2019t be your primary form of exercise, because it won\u2019t be challenging enough to trigger adaptations such as muscle growth, fat loss, and improved endurance,\u201d says Thieme.<\/p>\n
While both HIIT and LISS cardio help improve cardio fitness and burn calories, studies show that HIIT is more effective for fat loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce you become moderately fit, you\u2019ll have to look to higher-intensity training methods such HIIT to continue your transformation,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
People of different fitness levels can benefit from LISS cardio conditioning in different ways.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re new to exercise, LISS cardio can be an effective way to start your fitness journey,\u201d Thieme says, explaining that it can help ease you into exercise without putting you at risk of overtraining, which can delay your progress. And if you\u2019re already in shape, it works well as \u2018active recovery\u2018 between intense workouts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s why: When you challenge yourself during an intense workout\u2014running intervals, lifting weights, etc. \u2014 you cause microscopic damage to your muscles.<\/p>\n
That damage triggers repair and adaptation (a.k.a., \u201crecovery\u201d) processes that ultimately leave you stronger and fitter than you were before \u2014 if you don\u2019t interfere with them by doing another intense workout before they\u2019re complete.<\/p>\n
LISS cardio can facilitate your recovery\u00a0and shorten the time required for it by boosting blood flow (and oxygen and nutrient delivery) to your muscles without stressing them further (i.e., causing more damage).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more quickly you can recover, the less time you\u2019ll need between intense workouts, and the better you\u2019ll perform during them,\u201d says Thieme. \u201cAnd that translates into becoming fitter, faster.\u201d<\/p>\n
The key is to keep LISS cardio low intensity. \u201cIf your breathing rate increases to the point where you can\u2019t hold a conversation comfortably, slow down,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
As previously mentioned, if you\u2019re new to exercise, focusing on LISS cardio can help you build a strong fitness foundation.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve been pounding the pavement or pumping iron for a while, though, do it between interval or strength training sessions to facilitate your recovery.<\/p>\n
Thieme advises against doing\u00a0strength training\u00a0and LISS cardio back-to-back on the same day, mainly for practical reasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people have limited time to work out,\u201d he says. \u201cDevote those 30+ minutes it would take you to perform LISS cardio to challenging your strength and muscular endurance, and save LISS cardio for recovery days.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Here are some workouts you can do in 30 minutes or less.)<\/p>\n
Low intensity doesn\u2019t have to mean low energy \u2014 OzHelp\u00a0offers a variety of LISS cardio workouts that are fun and effective.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Perhaps you\u2019re looking for something to speed your recovery between intense workouts \u2014 something that will give you an exercise fix but not leave you drenched in sweat. Or maybe\u00a0high-intensity training\u00a0isn\u2019t on your radar, and you just want something that will put you on the fitness fast track without crushing your will to work out. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2756,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2755"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2755\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}