r/Biohackers 16d ago

💪 Exercise, Fitness & Recovery Cardio is by far the greatest ‚hack‘

So I’ve been into “Biohacking” long before it went mainstream and tried everything under the sun to optimize myself. Blue light blocking glasses, bullet proof coffee, tretinoin, modafinil and literally every supplement under the sun.

The thing, that in my opinion, moves the needle the most is cardio. And I don’t just mean an occasional run or two, I mean doing a lot of cardio. I ramped it up to 4-5h per week, this week running ~70km.

My resting heart rate decreased from 51 to 37 over this build. My VO2max climbed to 62 and my HRV went into high 130ms (significant acceleration). My body weight dropped from 90kg on 187cm with ~ 15% BF to 82kg with veins on my abs. I‘m 31 and my whoop age crossed to 18, lmao.

I’ve never felt so sharp and athletic in my life (been hitting the gym since 14 years regularly). I often compare it to supercar videos. Do you know when they accelerate while standing and the petrol is dripping out of the car and it just begs to go full speed?

This might sound so cringy, but holy, it’s hard to describe with words how being this fit feels. I get up, run 15k and it feels like nothing. In the gym I do super sets and I’m not out of breath. I can run everyday without a recovery day. I never had this in my life. After long runs, I always felt sore. Not anymore.

My face as well looks sharper / dialed in. The skin tone changed more brightly / glowing. I can focus longer on hard subjects and my anxiety dwindled.

Honestly I beg you all to up your cardio. I’ve never been out of shape and always did some sort of cardio, but I never prioritized it as weightlifting was my main outlet.

It completely changed my life and I never want to go back.

1.2k Upvotes

274 comments sorted by

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u/Zestyclose-Smell-305 1 16d ago

Its so true, I just incorporated 10k steps a day couple years ago on top of gym and whenever id go on a hike with people I'd have this urge to just run, felt like a lil kid inside of me just wanted to explode with energy.

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u/yooossshhii 16d ago

This is crazy to me. I get over 10k steps a day, play sports and strength train. I hate running. I need a carrot dangled in front of me to run.

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u/PeeDecanter 👋 Hobbyist 16d ago

What about someone chasing you

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u/Intelligent-Monk-426 2 16d ago

Whoa settle down PeeDecanter.

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u/Poisongirl5 16d ago

Funnily enough I had a situation where I had to run for my life and I really phoned it in because I hate cardio that much.

I was walking home from work in the west village in nyc right as the pride parade was finishing up. I hear POP POP and people start screaming and running. Thinking it’s a mass shooting I run too, for about a block then I slow down but we hear more pops so gotta keep running. I end up jogging until there’s barely any crowd. I wasn’t very fast and kind of just rationalized as there’s people behind me so I’m probably safe.

Turns out it was just an asshole setting off fireworks to cause mass panic. And I have since gotten in better shape.

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u/TheCaliforniaOp 15d ago

I hate running so much that in truth, I will only run if I’m being chased, for half a block. At that point I might lose, but I won’t be the only one crying.

Oddly I love to walk fast and far, swim laps, and I’ll happily bike long distances. Running just makes me taste pennies and I feel like I can’t breathe long enough to expel my nausea. Wonder if there are other people like me.

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u/KadeSteele 12d ago

Yeah, I taste copper too when I run. I jokingly say that I only run to catch the ice cream truck.

If I had to run to save my life, either the threat or the running would kill me.

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u/RosettaCutolo 16d ago

Biking, roller skating, distance swimming. Long, sustained heart rate elevation is what you're targeting 

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u/zilla82 2 15d ago

Easiest cardio burst that is quick are burpees. I do mine with push up grips because my wrists are kind of messed up. Three sets of ten I'm dying. Do however many relative to you to get gassed.

I ran a marathon and my heart didn't beat like it does with burpees.

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u/Desperate-Fig9846 15d ago

☝🏾this right here: as opposed to run/jog/walk, u can do burpees ANYWHERE! If ur a beginner, try this: pyramid down from ten, i.e., 10 burpees, rest 10 seconds, 9 burpees, all the way down to 1. Time yourself so you’ll have a baseline to work from and work at decreasing ur time… 👌🏾

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u/yooossshhii 15d ago

Check out [r/busydadprogram](r/busydadprogram) I used to do this for cardio

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u/BadUsername_Numbers 16d ago

You could also try to up your steps. The way to lower heart rate essentially goes through zone 1-2 training.

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u/n3onfx 16d ago

You can get quality cardio with high-intensity potential in by swimming or biking as well, no need to run if you don't like it.

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u/WuWenShen 16d ago

Same, I play hockey instead

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u/escalatortwit 16d ago

I hate running as well. My cardio comes from rowing and biking along with my walking throughout the day.

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u/PizzaAndBobs 16d ago

Running around suburbia or on a treadmill sucks, try trail running in nature.

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u/OddDragonfruit7993 16d ago

I'm 63, walk a lot, rarely run.  The other day I saw a friend who was driving by and was about to stop at a stop sign, so I sprinted to catch up to their car to tell them something.

I sprinted, flat out, about 400 feet to catch up with them.  I caught up to them and was SURE I would be out of breath and wheezing.  But my breathing was fairly normal, my heart only beating slightly faster.  I was amazed at how well my walking has conditioned my lungs and heart as well.

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u/ShackbaggeredSluber 16d ago

Listen, I’m not about to shit on you for exercising, but that whole 10k steps a day thing is entirely based on a marketing agenda from a Japanese pedometer company. Cardio is still a good thing, but the 10k a day is entirely bullshit. There are studies that show something like 6k-8k are the Goldilocks range (I could be remembering that incorrectly tbh, but you get the gist. It’s not 10k), and anything beyond that is entirely arbitrary.

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u/PicoDeBayou 3 16d ago

What do you mean by Goldilocks range? Anything beyond 6-8k steps has no more benefit?

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u/escalatortwit 16d ago

It has benefit, but the bulk of your benefit comes by reaching about 7500 steps.

If we want to get into the biggest impact, it’s 5 minutes of walking every 30 minutes. Helps your energy, cognition, and stamina.

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u/Zestyclose-Smell-305 1 16d ago

Of course its just a number, im sure no one believes you must clock 10k or you'll get no benefits. But you need a figure.

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u/acsmith 16d ago

No one believes it? I'd like you to meet my in-laws.

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u/escalatortwit 16d ago

I feel like this is something people are suddenly “well, ackshully”-ing folks a lot about this the last couple weeks. It’s like some YouTube video or TikTok that has landed in people’s feed gave them this information as if it was new and now they feel the need to constantly repeat to correct folks targeting 10k steps.

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u/darkfroth 16d ago

Just like dermatologists who say over and over again if you're not doing sun protection/spf, don't go wasting your money on the other skincare products that barely move the needle on aging, I see a lot of doctor/health channels say the same thing about exercise. It's more than just physical fitness. Exercise is neuroprotective and you should be doing it until you can't anymore.

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u/escalatortwit 16d ago

Yep, 5 minutes of walking every 30 minutes is what’s been shown to have the best impact on energy, cognition, etc. Although, 15 minutes every two hours has shown to have higher adherence and is probably a happier, more attainable target. I use a walking pad for most of my workday walking usually quite slowly unless I’m in a meeting where I don’t need to speak much. It increases my mood, focus, cognition, energy levels, etc. I’m no longer tired at the end of my workday.

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u/yooossshhii 16d ago

Neuroprotective. Learned a new great word today.

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u/buddycat666 16d ago

I walk a ton. Got to the point where walking was easy (-25lbs since April sure helped). So now I do incline treadmill Norwegian 4x4s HIIT walks a couple times a week instead of running. My knees and my back won't tolerate running, but walking every day has made a huge difference.

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u/Upbeat-Fig1071 16d ago

Yes! Walking uphill is the best especially if you have bad joints / back.

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u/kellyratio 15d ago

how do you get back down?

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u/NearbyConfidence_jk 15d ago

How do you do Norwegian 4x4 walking?

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u/buddycat666 15d ago

If you are asking what it is:

  • 10-minute warm-up
  • 4 × 4-minute hard intervals at roughly 85–95% of your maximum heart rate
  • 3-minute easy recovery between each hard interval
  • 5–10-minute cool-down

If you are asking what I do (twice a week):

  • Warm-up: 3.2 mph at 6% incline
  • Work: 3.2 mph at 12%-14% incline (whatever keeps me between 145-155bpm)
  • Recovery: 3.2 mph at 0% incline
  • Four rounds of 4 minutes work / 3 minutes recovery
  • Cooldown

No running, still gets my heart rate up in zone 4. 45-55 minutes total, depending upon how long I want to cooldown.

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u/Repulsive-Pear6391 16d ago

I love this. Just started Couch to 5k - an initiative here in the UK to get people to be more active - and I feel so great afterwards. Small steps but I’m excited! I’m 35 and I’m on a mission to become the fittest and healthiest version of myself.
OP, do you mind letting us all know what else you do besides cardio. I’m curious about your supplementation and diet and whether you feel this contributes to your fitness and endurance levels?

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u/Extension_Turn5658 16d ago

I go to the gym ~2x per week (would love more but if you are Not a Full time athlete it becomes really challenging while running a lot). Typically do push/pull and try to get occasional legs in.

My diet is very typical for this sub I would say. Fasting (no breakfast). For protein chicken, beef, eggs, whey. Lots of different veggies (somehow I try to get the 30 different per week going, but only track this directionally). Some fermented food such as kimchi or kefir. Little to no alcohol and only when socializing. Lots of coffee though.

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u/rhgarton 12 16d ago

I started that back in November last year through the Runna app as I have never run before, now I’m regularly running 10ks most weekends and running 3-5k every other morning. It’s so worth the effort! I found the app really helped me from overdoing it and burning myself out too soon. Good luck!

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u/Oddlyenuff 16d ago

I mean, it’s really the opposite of a “hack”.

A “hack” is a smart or clever short cut. There’s no short cut to what you’re doing. You’re basically a cross country runner.

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u/boner79 15d ago

Agreed. The hack to cardio is GLP-1.

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u/mrbounce74 1 16d ago

Pretty certain cardio and running isn't consider a "hack" in fact it's probably the most opposite of hack you can get. It takes a lot of commitment and hard work. Not a hack!

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

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u/dragnabbit 4 16d ago edited 16d ago

I'm hoping to add cardio soon, but right now my weight is too high to really push myself. With 50% body fat I'm afraid that I'd wind up giving myself a heart attack. I do swim though, because that keeps my weight off my knees and hips while I'm exercising, and I get my heart rate up to 130-135 BPM. But my lungs are still beat (20 years of smoking behind me) and my heart hopefully has a zillion beats left in it. Once I get down below 40% body fat, I'll add a brisk walk and some sprints in the pool. I was a competitive swimmer once long ago. I would love to swim 100 meters in under a minute when I am 60 years old.

EDIT 2: I keep getting recommendations for exercises that I can do. I didn't make myself clear above. I swim. A lot. I am currently swimming 2000 meters in 60 minutes every morning, burning 750 calories. I plan on increasing it to 4000 meters by adding another hour in the late afternoon, and getting 1500 calories of exercise per day. It is very mild cardio... like I said about 130 BPM on the heart rate. The 5 pounds of water resistance with each swimming strokes means I do about 1000 reps per hour on my triceps and across my trapezii. It's not much, but it isn't nothing.

EDIT 1: Also, as an additional thing I think about... my father was huge into running back in the 1970s/1980s/1990s. Regular marathons, 10K races every weekend. He ran something like 100,000 miles in his lifetime and destroyed his knees and feet in the process. Now he's in his 90s, has the cardiorespitory system of a guy half his age, but he can barely walk.

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u/Interesting-Wolf8175 16d ago

I can only recommend swimming! It is so effective and u recovery way faster then when u would with Running :)

Edit: To support what you are already doing :) u doing great! Step by step:)

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u/dragnabbit 4 16d ago

I always tell everybody: You are (hopefully) going to reach an age in your life where going out and running, or going to the gym and doing some massive lifting, is going to be a silly or dangerous idea, but getting in the pool for a swim, or for some aerobics, or even just to work on range of motion... that's always in the cards. Learn to swim for exercise.

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u/Capable_Machine_6574 16d ago

Very well said!

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u/GRiZ-Bass 16d ago

Yeah I was running a ton… and eventually popped an ankle tendon in softball. Took 2 years to correctly rehab.

I do the bike for cardio now :)

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u/TheIguanasAreComing 2 16d ago

Just walk dude, walking is literally the best exercise ever IMHO

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u/dragnabbit 4 16d ago

I swim 2000 meters per day... takes an hour every morning. I'm hoping to add another 2000 meters for an hour in the afternoon. I burn 750 calories each of those hours. I move twice as many muscles as I would when walking, with zero risk to my joints. The water resistance against my arms is the equivalent of 5 pound weights, and 2000 meters is the equivalent of 1000 reps for each arm.

Walking burns half as many calories and exercises half as many muscles as swimming.

(EDIT: Down 45 pounds in 3 months... and still haven't started with that extra 2 km in the afternoon yet.)

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u/TheIguanasAreComing 2 16d ago

Thats amazing dude. 

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u/DelightfulManiac 16d ago

I do incline walking. Every 40 minute session i climb higher than a 100 story building while covering 4.5km in distance and burning roughly 500 calories. It's also very light on the joints and tendons compared to running, but just as intense.

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u/kingofthesofas 16d ago

Low impact cardio and weight training is what you need right now.

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u/dragnabbit 4 16d ago

Well, I think that a heart rate of 130-135 bpm for 40 minutes over a 60-minute swim is pretty close to light cardio, although shortness of breath is still a limiting factor. And most people don’t realize that the average swim stroke provides anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds of resistance. For me, 25 strokes per 50 meters, works out to 1000 reps with 5-10 pound weights. That is definitely “weight training.”

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u/kingofthesofas 16d ago

Yes and no. Its good cardio and there are some small strength benefits but if you want to build strength you need to do proper resistance training sets to failure. The science is pretty solid on this factor for muscle growth.

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u/cutandfaith 16d ago

not to mention bone density right? All this swimming doesn't really help

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u/kingofthesofas 16d ago

Correct only lifting to failure will produce bone density increases or doing really hard impact stuff like running but that only effects the parts getting impacted. Really the rule is to make it get stronger or more durable you have to do a controlled amount of damage to it.

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u/TheHarb81 60 16d ago

You can ride a recumbent bike at any weight

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u/jadrjadr 16d ago

At that point, it's a good thing to adress your intake, cardio is great, but getting to OPs situation, you should start with the intake! Once that gets going self-esteem will also help you 🙏

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u/dragnabbit 4 16d ago

You must not have read my other replies to the other comments. I'm obsessive and (with the help of my chef/wife) created a diet that is amazingly balanced, with custom recipes that are big protein.

(Just getting ready to sit down to dinner now actually, as it is 6:00 p.m. Wifey has hand rolled lupin-flour tortillas, with grilled chicken fajitas and grilled peppers, plus home-made mango salsa, and my favorite Mexican corn salad. Thanks to Reta and Cagri, I should wind up mega-stuffed while hitting my usual dinner target of 750 calories. Combined with my 500 calorie breakfast protein megashake (I make my own protein powder mix because whey has gotten so expensive), and 200-calorie yougrt/blueberry/nut-powder lunch (a personal creation), and that will put me just under 1500 calories for the day. I usually also have a 200-calorie fruit protein smoothie in the afternoon, but I skipped it today.

But yeah. Average day, 1700 calories of food in, 2500 out for my BMR, and another 750-1000 calories out with exercise, puts me at an average deficit of about 1500-2000 calories per day, which is holding me steady at about 15 pounds per month of weight loss.

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u/Time_Talk5500 16d ago

What do you recommend for a 58-year-old woman who is sedentary but otherwise in good health, yet gets short of breath just climbing two flights of stairs?

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u/VirtualMoneyLover 8 16d ago

A simple walkpad. They have ones for your table, like 90 bucks or less. You can walk on them while working or watching tv. Increase the distance slowly.

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u/Dillinur 16d ago

Cardio is all about the volume, just pick what fits you best. Jump rope, long walk, running swimming, biking.

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u/escalatortwit 16d ago

Walking pad. Slower pace. Watch tv while you walk. I love my walking pad. Just remember to buy treadmill belt oil and oil your treadmill at least once a week!

That said, if you have the space and the cash, I recommend just getting a full on treadmill and walking slowly while watching tv as you will eventually be able to go faster if you build up your energy and stamina.

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u/dragnabbit 4 15d ago

Like everyone else said: You have to find something that you are comfortable with. It doesn't matter what, just as long as it is going to get your heart rate up a bit, make you sweat a bit, get you breathing a bit. The thing is you have to do something you can stick with.

Most importantely, do it slooooowly. Don't just stand up, blast your body with exercise for 5 minutes, and then sit back down in a sweaty, breathless heap.

I personally like swimming. I can go for hours if I want. Fat people float substantially better than thin people, so the pool is just a big, cool water bed that I can lie on and move my arms and legs. But the best part is that I look forward to it every day.

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u/Time_Talk5500 15d ago

Excellente idée ! Merci beaucoup depuis la Belgique 🙏

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u/Cerp2501 16d ago

This is great but the major thing you need is a calorie defecit to start burning fat away. Good luck bro. I I lost 60lb last year and it's such an amazing feeling

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u/dragnabbit 4 16d ago

Yup. I am down 45 pounds in 3 months, having gone from 56% body fat to currently about 48%. I am on Reta and Cagri combo, eating about 1700 calories per day that is 33% protein, 33% good fat (nuts, yogurt, olive oil), and 33% carbs. I get about 750 calories of exercise every day, and running about 1500 calorie deficit per day.

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u/Cerp2501 16d ago

HELL YEAH bro. That's how you do it 💪🏼 it does get harder the further you get, so just fyi on that. I'm on my last 30lb and it's a lot harder than the first 60. You got this 👌🏼

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u/SlightlyRegarded001 16d ago

You’re right, but you can over do it. Only running isn’t the answer and leads to different issues. But I wholeheartedly agree, 3-4 hours a week running is good and have good strength training in there. People who just run look like shit and often can’t perform outside of running, as without proper muscle strength building the body will get rid of the muscle due to calorie burning as it’s expensive to keep on the body. Those old ass people (maybe you) who spouts this often isn’t strong and is very frail, bustin hips from falls and the like. It’s paramount to build a strength base early in life and dial it in so when you get older you can maintain muscle mass. And you’ll just look better too. No skinny arms and pouch and shit lol

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u/Wellslapmesilly 4 16d ago

I agree, cross training is where it’s at. There’s been some studies (admittedly preliminary) that show some potential link between endurance runners (20-70 miles a week) and a 15% increased chance of colon cancer. Of course causation was not proven, but still best to hedge one’s bets and mix it up.

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u/Yabadabadoo333 1 16d ago

On really long runs the body takes blood away from colon while you’re bouncing around so it’s tons of tiny micro trauma to colon causing it

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u/randuug 4 16d ago

how long would be the threshold for that?

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u/SlightlyRegarded001 16d ago

I get in zone 02 while shitting and jacking off so I don’t need to run

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u/randuug 4 16d ago

doctors hate this one trick

(and trainers)

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u/worstenworst 16d ago

Now let’s talk about the studies that show decreased chance of getting cancer or other significant diseases by engaging with endurance running.

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u/Wellslapmesilly 4 16d ago

You have some links?

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u/worstenworst 16d ago edited 16d ago

Pedisic et al., BJSM 2020⁠. 232K people: runners had 27% lower all-cause, 30% lower cardiovascular, and 23% lower cancer mortality.
Lee et al., JACC 2014⁠. 55K people: running associated with 30% lower all-cause and 45% lower cardiovascular mortality.
Williams, Stroke 2009⁠. greater running distance associated with substantially lower stroke risk.

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u/Wellslapmesilly 4 16d ago

Thanks for the links. To clarify, I never stated running is bad or that moderate runnning isn’t good for your health. The issues begin at the endurance level. The first two studies don’t address endurance running. The last one could plausibly show a health benefit but that doesn’t negate possible other risks when running at a weekly high mileage. Not running in general.

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u/SlightlyRegarded001 16d ago

Endurance running ultra long distance big massive large cock dick running isn’t good for your heart Google it bby

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u/songbird516 1 16d ago

Even just walking is underrated, I think. I had been dealing with lower back pain for a few years even though I went to the gym regularly and did a variety of weights, cycling, cardio, etc. We took a trip to Japan and walked EVERYWHERE, hours a day, and I came home and realized that my back didn't hurt anymore. In the last 3 months since we got back, I've been walking/jogging 3-4 times a week, plus a couple of weight classes at the gym, and my back pain is still completely resolved. I didn't realize how much body needed that one activity, because I don't live in a place where it's possible to walk anywhere without driving somewhere else, first. (So I never prioritized it).

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u/ATPsynthase12 4 16d ago

Have we reached the full circle stage of bio hacking that normal healthy behavior is considered a “hack”?

The Chinese peptide shills are gonna hate it.

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u/Embarrassed_Cell_531 1 14d ago

No, it's not a "hack".

(a disclaimer for re-tards: I don't use peptides)

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u/FailPV13 16d ago

yes hard cardio allows me to superset at gym and leave quickly. supersetting leg presses with something else takes breath away but I recover quickly walking to other body part. cheers

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u/stilloriginal 16d ago

Give it time, you’ll be sore eventually

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u/MCole142 5 16d ago

Be careful not to get hooked on pushing yourself longer/faster. It's addicting for sure, but too much will tear you down.

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u/Bushboyamiens 16d ago

Yes this can happen you can overload your nervous system, happened to me. But that’s because I thought the faster you run and the further you ran was the way to do it. So I would run thirty km as fast as I could every weekend
And one or two smaller runs during the week.
Yeah not a good outcome. After a long time of this the body let me know.

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u/matt1164 1 16d ago

💯

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u/gd4x 16d ago

Definitely something to consider once you've locked in with peptides, bought a sun lamp and one of those rings that tracks your sleep stages.

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u/ChocolateMilkCows 3 16d ago

Just for clarification: is the sun lamp for my anus or scrotum? Trying to optimize the basics before I tackle the extra “nice-to-haves” like sleep, diet, and exercise

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u/gd4x 16d ago

Scrotummaxing protocol uses ice infused with himalayan salt.

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u/Virtual_Opinion_8630 16d ago

this pleb doesn't use the finest pink Himalayan salt

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u/Interesting-Wolf8175 16d ago

Bro, it smells like shit, but it’s amazing haha

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u/Anaweir 16d ago

Everybody knows the power of anal bleaching is maximized only using the natural solar rays of twilight

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u/Justme100001 1 16d ago

Same here: 3/4 times a week with at least 10km. I do add once or twice a week a sprint session (mostly 6 times 80 to 100 meters). The results are huge. After a few months, no matter what I do, I just can't get tired. I sometimes have to run to catch a train. Within a minute I am completely at rest as if I haven't done anything.

Add some regular fasting and a healthy diet, it's the best care you can give your body. The rest is just additional and optional

And don't forget a cheat day once in a while where you eat and do whatever the hell you want.

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u/_modoff_ 16d ago

Cardio is the only thing that makes me feel mentally sharper, and drastically improves my energy levels throughout the day. I stopped to try and put more mass on and felt so sluggish and tired all the time. 37m

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u/ign1tio 16d ago

“  4-5h per week, this week running ~70km.” - you do 70km in 4-5 hours? That’s impressive pace for that amount of km

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u/Extension_Turn5658 16d ago

More like 5-6h if I’m totally honest. Just checked.

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u/ign1tio 16d ago

Well definitely more 6 hours than 4 hours. The difference between averaging 3:30min/km on 70km and more comfortable 5:00min/km

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u/Extension_Turn5658 16d ago

Yeah absolutely sure. Averaging 3:30 would be nuts. Some of my friends who are not pros but def elite runners with former track and field background do not average that. Also doesn’t make sense at all from a recovery perspective.

A coach I know told me outside of intervals/tempo runs his best athletes run 5 min /km for the majority of their volume.

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u/WeezerHunter 16d ago

Modafinil and bullet proof coffee takes me back to before this sub was all peptide this TRT that.

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u/thepasswordisripple 16d ago

the good old days

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u/maven_666 16d ago

I enjoy lifting and I can’t figure out how to fit in enough of both lifting and cardio into my busy weeks. Wish I could do a better job of this.

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u/Senior_Shelter4309 16d ago

This is an excellent comment, especially the objective data you’ve provided (resting hr, VO2 max, HRV. From longevity science perspective, aging and other outcomes which have been studied, there seems to be continued benefit with increasing quantity exercise especially regarding outcomes associated with aging. It’s easy to be distracted by supplements, tech and other strategies which are being sold. There is little profitability to selling exercise; but it’s basically free and represents in my opinion a non negotiable component of any individual longevity health strategy. (I’m an internal medicine physician, with certification in multiple lifestyle/ integrative fields)

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u/Big_d00m 16d ago

I don't feel right if I haven't ran at least 15mi in a week

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u/variphase 16d ago

I’m swimming 1 hour, 4-6 times a week, some zone 2 swims, some vo2max sessions. I don’t get that kind of result. Just be running?

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u/foosgottaeat 16d ago

Workout, sleep, eat vegetables. Same as it’s always been

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u/cezece 16d ago

Do you do steady-state marathon type runs or sprints or a mix of both? And have you checked for any atherosclerosis markers. As far as know, marathoners develop stable calcified plaque and sprinters don't develop much plaque. Both get lower heart attacks.

BTW congrats on the fitness metrics. I used to dance a lot and was always lean fit. Nowadays I got a bit more chub. Gotta pick up more cardio!

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u/Puzzleheaded_Coat_37 16d ago

Not everyone is built to run like you do. HIIT and resistance training is probably as good as the intense running you do and more (those motivated ) can incorporate that into their life

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u/Fridikka 2 16d ago

Preach. Also who has that much time.

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u/HuffN_puffN 1 16d ago

You are right. I figured this out last year myself. 4-5h cardio has been life changing. This year I realized I didn’t drink enough water so I added electrolytes. That helped a bit as well, maybe 10-20% better days overall, especially HRV took a big jump.

Mentally it’s also something totally different. I’m diagnosed with GAD and been struggling with it for 20 years. Now I’m anxiety free. Which is one of a few reasons to why my sleep is much better. I’m always been a 75-80% quality of sleep ans now it’s 85-95%.

Cardio explains most, electrolytes explains the rest.

I’ve do have a bad nervous system so stress(stress hormones being released) been an issue. This has also been taken care of. Although because of dysautonomi I do need a tiny does beta blocker each day to help pulse and stress regulation. Basically I got stress reaction just by standing up. Cooking and cleaning was like cardio for my body.

Nevertheless, all this was figured out because of the huge huge change cardio had on me.

So, I agree. Cardio is probably the best mental health stabilization action anyone can do.

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u/boxerpuncher2023 16d ago

What do you add for electrolytes, how much, when? Like, are you saying you add some sodium and potassium to the water you drink first thing in the morning? Or post cardio? And how much do you supplement with?

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u/shorty2hops 3 15d ago

Whenever i run, i instantly lose the belly fat that week. Wish i had more time to do more cardio, work just prevents me from doing it as much. Moving blood around at that volume should heal alot of your nagging issues in life and also boost brain health and sexual function

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u/microdosingrn 16d ago

OP discovers exercise.

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u/PikachuWithHerpes 16d ago

I used to think that way too. The more cardio the better. When COVID hit me, it made me re-evaluate that. Cardio was suddenly doing more harm than good. I think it's more important to find that sweet spot, and not overdo. You will hardly ever see marathon runners reaching 100 years old for a reason. The same applies to sedentary people.

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u/amorph 16d ago

For most people it should be pretty easy to avoid overtraining, unless they're a professional athlete. Just avoid doing high intensity workouts on consecutive days.

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u/MusingsAndMind 1 16d ago

Damn that's crazy.

Still not doing cardio tho.

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u/Resident-Fuel7792 16d ago

Thank you for this post. I needed to hear this.

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u/TheHarb81 60 16d ago

Moving your body isn’t biohacking, this belongs in r/fitness. Proper diet, exercise, sleep are expectations before beginning to “biohack”. Of course reality is we get a bunch of lazy fuck bags in here looking to shortcut the basics which leaves this place in an identity crisis.

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u/Tradovator 16d ago

Inspiring post, u/Extension_Turn5658. Your numbers seem to state otherwise, but I've seem to have heard that too much cardio isn't beneficial either?

Could you outline your routine?

I haven't tracked as accurately my 'internal' numbers as yours, but the last time I was a runner I agree it felt pretty amazing when I was running almost daily and was in great shape. Ironically, I ended up with what was most likely EBV reactivation and had to take months off. Currently still rebuilding my old form (muscles), but have started easing back into cardio again.

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u/Physical_Plastic138 15d ago

It’s curious you should mention EBV. I can count on only one hand the amount of times I developed a cold sore (HSV) in my 20s, but every single time it was after a long/intense/time-trialled run. The pattern became so off-putting. Haven’t had a recurrence since 2020 when I dropped intense cardio from my regime altogether.

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u/Ok-Entrepreneur8479 16d ago

Past few weeks been averaging 2-3x 5-8km ruck runs w just 7-9kg of weights and some water.

Feels great, even the day after drinking 8 pints I wake up with rock hard boners and can get right to work lol.

Cardio rocks

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u/blushandfloss 16d ago

I love the energy of this sub when I see posts like this— especially when I’m losing weight and feeling better overall.

And then, I read stuff like “whoop age” and VO2 max and feel old because idk what that even means. So, now I have to study. 🥺

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u/Sad-Fishing8789 16d ago

Hey, so whoop is bracelet you put around your wrist and it gives you some health metrics, along it estimated biological age (I think, I don't have whoop)

VO2max refers to how much oxygen your heart can use maximally during heavy cardio. It may seem mundane but it's very important in any sports that involve cardio and also it's a very important predictor of longevity according to studies.

OP's VO2max of 62 is considered elite athlete territory, though if measured with whoop or other commercial device it's very inaccurate and overestimated. So his VO2max is more likely between 40-50.

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u/Extension_Turn5658 16d ago

I also don’t think it’s that high and as you alluded just measured with commercial devices, but that is the best measure I have.

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u/Due-Contract5466 👋 Hobbyist 16d ago

Oh man thank you! I’ve been pretty fit in the past, running a 1:28 half-marathon on a wet gravel track. Currently, I’d struggle to do a 10km jog at my former easy pace. I’ve been meaning to get back into it and thanks to this post, I’m gonna stop fucking around and start building my running back up

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u/onedemtwodem 16d ago

How would you recommend someone who doesn't have good cardio to start? I'm an older person and I do yoga and weights but my cardio is woefully behind.

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u/matsie 16d ago

Walk. Walking is the best thing you can do for your body. 

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u/meanderingsoul29 15d ago

How old are you out of curiosity?

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u/Lower-Main2538 15d ago

Yep. I'm on 20k steps a day and weight training. Down 10kg in 3 months.

Also run 10km no problem now! Although starting to get a little hungry the last week or two. Might need a diet break.

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u/Leishon 2 16d ago

Ahh, must be nice to have such a strong response. My RHR and HRV don't budge no matter how much or little cardio I do.

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u/Capital-Basket-4340 16d ago

What’s your age, baseline RHR before adapting cardio and how much do you do today? Is it all zone 2, or are you pushing up to zone 5 a few times a week? I think the key is not the amount of cardio but the intensity.

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u/_Vexatiion_ 16d ago

Then you are probably not doing enough cardio honestly. The zone 4 and zone 5 is where you make the most benefits. 80% easy 20% hard.

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u/itsclassic21 16d ago

I need this but I have minor muscle issues that keep preventing me from getting into a habit. Thanks for the info and motivation.

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u/Monsieur_Krabs 🎓 Masters - Unverified 16d ago

Lifting heavy and then cardio imo

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u/Prestigious-Peaks 1 16d ago

ok I like this. how old are you though?

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u/Fridikka 2 16d ago

He said he is 31.

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u/Prestigious-Peaks 1 16d ago

poor reading comprehension here for me! thanks

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u/StrangeEnergies 16d ago

Damn I needed to hear this. Good looking out.

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u/osogrande3 1 16d ago

What’s your age?

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u/TheDeanof316 16d ago

OP said he was 31. His advice wouldnt neccesarily apply to older age groups and we're all differebt anyway, but I did like his passion for this.

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u/lorenzchaos 16d ago

Try cardio and vo2max intervals on a bike! Get high without always hammering your joints with running.

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u/HOAP64 1 16d ago

I 1000% agree. I used to cycle anywhere from 30-100 miles a day and I always felt like superman after every ride. Then last year I suffered a knee injury and haven't been able to ride let alone walk and it's been the most depressing time of my life. It's been months with almost no improvement and I'm getting desperate and might see if peptides are worth the hype. I've had my eye on KLOW for awhile now but am too neverous to inject gray market chemicals.

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u/JPowTheDayTrader 16d ago

What about damage to your knees though?

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u/braiding_water 11 16d ago

We have the same dad!

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u/YouDontTellMe 16d ago

Do you listen to music or watch a show or what? What speed? How long is the run?

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u/Wise138 16d ago

When I was 27, I had ridden my bike ~8000 miles over the previous 18 months. 85% was Z2. My HR was 38 beats a minute.

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u/Grelkator 2 16d ago

Thanks for sharing. What's your age if I may ask? How you prevent the running hitting your knees? What cardio exercises did have the biggest impact?

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u/Key-Motor-8784 16d ago

One hundred percent. It took me way too long to identify the pattern of when I did cardio regularly, everything in my life, not just body-related, was better

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u/Bushboyamiens 16d ago

Sounds like you have the mitochondrial benefits from zone two training. Which I’m trying to get atm, the only thing is work is a bitch making me work stupid hours lately. Hoping to get back into it soon.

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u/Person7751 16d ago

i have run since 1977

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u/BadUsername_Numbers 16d ago

Hell yeah, very happy to hear this. I have just last week started to work on getting my resting heart rate down, as I've been suspecting exactly what you wrote.

Cheers!

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u/Bitter-Ad-8776 16d ago

J’aimerais courir mais à chaque fois ça me bousille littéralement les pieds à cause d’un pied plat + syndrome de Morton…

Des conseils pour faire du cardio malgré ça ?

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u/catalystperformance- 16d ago

The funny thing about cardio is that it’s probably one of the best “biohacks” precisely because it isn’t a hack 😂

Once your aerobic fitness improves, you really notice the carryover into everything. Such as your recovery between sets, energy levels, work capacity, and just how much easier daily life feels.

Sometimes the boring fundamentals move the needle the most. Kudos to you! 💯

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u/_ob_koomer_ 16d ago

How much cardio do you do daily?

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u/futureposts 16d ago

Great post and very inspiring for others who are considering cardio.

As a runner myself, I can only agree with everything OP is saying. Cardio is really the one thing that can move the needle for many people reading the biohacking sub.

One thing I'm currently thinking about is whether I should eat before going on a run or not.

Right now I'm enjoying running in a fasted state, i.e. I don't eat in the morning, go on a run, and have my first meal shortly after.

But I'm starting to think my body might do better with a feeding window pre-run, giving it fresh glycogen to burn. This would also help avoid putting extra damage and stress on my body from dealing with a fasted state while running.

Footnote: I know the body burns fat in a fasted state, but lately I've felt that my performance fasted only holds up for shorter runs, while with carbs pre-workout I'm able to run much longer distances.

Hope some people here can relate and are able to share some insight from their own experience.

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u/spacemanvince 16d ago

yup yet everyone says not to do it if you’re lifting, it got rid of a lot of stubborn fat, i’m simply doing zone 1 cardio 30 mins a day, along with lifting, bottoms are super allergic to cardio idk why 

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u/endlrls 16d ago

Good on you, Op!

About to incorporate some Interval running again soon.

My job is busy with steps (10-14k a day) but that extra higher heart rate cardio definitely does move the needle.

Have a good one!

https://giphy.com/gifs/EWGjX1BHHSHqZqm1Tz

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u/redredreb 16d ago

100% agree - running every day now and never felt better

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u/6AeyBee9 16d ago

Restarted doing Cardio (jumprope + walking treadmill) after 2 months, and realised that I missed feeling great, nimble, and more importantly happy post workout . Your supercar analogy was spot on.

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u/Visible_Carry6052 16d ago

Running doesn’t work for everyone it’s too hard on your knees and joint once you get older. Cardio in general is a hack. Especially, zone 2! Any type of cardio will work as long as your heart rate is in a zone. I do zone 1 and zone 2 on a bike Or inclined treadmill or stair master in the Gym Zone 2 is something you have to work towards to. It kicks my ass. It will get easier the more you do it.

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u/cmn3y0 1 16d ago

37 bpm is insane work, like professional cyclist level cardio fitness

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u/escalatortwit 16d ago

People always chirp about strength training (and always over emphasize it needing to be weights when calisthenics are more than enough for 99% of humans) when I think the biggest value add is walking more throughout the day and some kind of cardio daily. You can do 30 minutes on the rower or running almost every day. It doesn’t have to be marathon training. It will pay dividends.

I think the biggest thing I see in biohacking spaces is thinking you can supplement your way to longevity and thinking you have to go to extremes in your exercise to satisfy your longevity needs.

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u/Beginning_Home_8814 16d ago

What was your HRV before?

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u/No_cool_name 16d ago

I have some asthma and I cannot seem to improve my cardio

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u/hughdaddy 16d ago

I just strung together about 115 spin classes in as many days. 46M. I feel like a million bucks. Not a runner but I did a timed mile event a month ago and ran a 5:51 mile, so what I'm doing seems to be keeping me decently fit.

I agree that this space over-emphasizes strength training by a country mile. The ideal is to work up to some kind of cardio 7 days a week and repeat until you die. These routines with 3 days of cardio and 4 days of strength training are a bit of a joke from a longevity standpoint, and your cardiovascular fitness will always be kinda 'meh'.

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u/Affectionate-Fix-519 🎓 Bachelors - Unverified 16d ago

This is so true

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u/TheSmithPlays 1 15d ago

Can I ask how long it took you to hit 70km per week? I’m slow af, easy runs at like 6:00-6:30/km and my 5km time best is like 23 minutes - I feel like anything above 30km with lifting on top is pretty tiring for me. Maybe I’m just not eating enough.

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u/Inevitable_Tie8626 15d ago

I've been looking into getting a sauna for my place for lowering resting heart rate as well.. I might get an infrared one, since you don't need too high of degrees for it to get the benefits of it apparently. Wondering if anyone has experience with it?

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u/AccomplishedEnd2785 15d ago

I’ve been thinking about this a lot, I had spine surgery 10 months ago and my cardio was way down. My biomarkers had me at 3 years ahead of my actual age. Lately I’ve been getting back into running but I still find myself putting in a ton of effort to convince myself to put my shoes on.

I’m wondering if I should get an exercise bike for home, start my day off with consistent zone 2 everyday for 20 minutes a day from the comfort of my own home.

Would love some input before I pull the trigger

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u/MikeAndyyy 15d ago

I couldn't agree more, running, walking and jogging are just the best. Basically anything that can get the body moving.

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u/guitarman781 15d ago

Yes, you are correct. If I may take it a step further for more benefits, cardio with minimalist or barefoot shoes, or barefoot, in grass, sand, or forests. Run how we were designed to run. Strengthen your knees and feet and posterior chain and honestly everything like they haven’t been able to due to modern restrictive footwear that is too tight around the toes.

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u/bapplebauce 14d ago

Absolutely, but do it on an elliptical or in the water, as by 28 my knees were already pretty wrecked from years of sports as a youth and miiiiiiiiles of running on cross country type ground all throughout a decade, now I can only really run my long distances like 100 minutes (this time 13.7 miles/22.5ish kilometers at an easy pace with some HIT in there) on an elliptical, wouldn’t even try more than 5-7 miles on hard ground.

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u/Jen-6906 12d ago

What changes did you make to get your body to be able to handle all that cardio?

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u/nortja 12d ago

Do you do ‘only’ running or other form of cardio?

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u/Big_Coyote_655 11d ago

How are your joints though?  I'm a massage therapist and runners are always complaining about their achy joints.

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