What Counts As Cardio (and What Doesn't)

Cardio is good for us. We need both cardio and strength training for basic health, as well as our athletic goals. But what actually counts as cardio? Can you count walking? Lifting weights? Anything so long as you’re in the right zone? Let me break it down. 

What is the definition of cardio? 

Trick question! “Cardio” is a nickname for a certain rough category of exercise, and it doesn't have a precise definition. You’ll find different definitions of it depending on who you ask, and a lot of the research on the benefits of cardio just calls it “exercise." The closest technical term is "aerobic activity."

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans describes aerobic activity as when:

...the body’s large muscles move in a rhythmic manner for a sustained period of time. Brisk walking, running, bicycling, jumping rope, and swimming are all examples. Aerobic activity causes a person’s heart to beat faster, and they will breathe harder than normal. 

That matches the World Health Organization definition, as well as the way most fitness professionals use the terms "aerobic" or "cardio" exercise. Note that the key components are: 

• It uses large muscles (like the legs; you can’t get cardio by twiddling your thumbs)

• It's rhythmic (as when you pedal a bicycle for hundreds of revolutions)

• It can be sustained (like a 20-minute bike ride, but unlike a set of 10 squats)

Exercises that fit the definition include walking, running, cycling, swimming, and using machines like a rower, elliptical, or stair machine at the gym. 

Is there a certain heart rate or zone that counts as cardio?

No, there isn’t a strict dividing line between what counts as cardio and what doesn’t. The guidelines I quote above treat “moderate” intensity cardio as the minimum to target, but that’s not defined in terms of heart rate. I have a breakdown here of what “moderate” really means, but briefly: Anything at the effort level of a normal-paced walk (about 20 minutes per mile) is moderate. 

I know that’s not the answer you were hoping to find, so here’s another data point: the American Heart Association says that moderate exercise corresponds to 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. (Vigorous is 70-85%.) 

Most of us don’t actually know our true max heart rate, and formulas like “220 minus your age” aren’t accurate. So take that with a grain of salt. It’s more helpful to consider how exercise feels: Moderate exercise will get you breathing heavier than at rest, maybe sweating a little bit, and with a noticeably higher heart rate than when you’re sitting quietly. You don’t have to be out of breath; moderate exercise is conversational, in the sense that you could, literally, engage in conversation while you do it. 

If you want to get health benefits from cardio, you may want to pay more attention to intensity. Moderate exercise is great, but vigorous exercise (where it feels hard, and you won’t be able to speak in full sentences) is also excellent to have in the mix. The Norwegian 4x4 is an accessible cardio workout that features plenty of vigorous work.

Does walking count as cardio? 

Yes, in the sense that it meets the minimum guidelines. It is moderate intensity exercise and it counts toward your minutes per week (no matter what your heart rate is while you do it). 

But if you have athletic goals, walking alone is probably not enough to achieve them. If walking feels easy, you probably want to increase the intensity to increase your cardio fitness. Jogging or rucking would be good next steps.

Does lifting weights count as cardio?

No, lifting weights does not count as cardio (with a few exceptions, which I’ll discuss in a minute.) Remember, cardio has to be rhythmic and sustained. If you aren’t doing the same movement over and over for, say, 10 minutes, it’s not cardio. So three sets of 10 on the chest press machine is definitely not cardio. You probably spent about five minutes in total, most of them resting. Doesn't count.

And no, I won’t change my answer based on what your heart rate monitor says. Your heart rate only measures the intensity of cardio exercise if you are doing cardio exercise. Strength training is still strength training (not cardio) no matter what zone your heart rate is in. 

So what are those exceptions I mentioned? Exercising with weights can count as cardio if it meets the definition: rhythmic and sustained. Most people don’t do this! But if you’re training for a kettlebell half marathon, which is 30 minutes of the same motion, continuously, with a light kettlebell (you aren’t allowed to put the kettlebell down until time is up), then yes, that is cardio.

I would also categorize the kettlebell ladder workout as a form of cardio. I do so with reservations—it’s not continuous for the whole 30-ish minutes, but then again neither is a lot of interval training. Kettlebell swings are definitely rhythmic and involve large muscles, and the workout is designed to get your breathing and heartbeat going faster than usual for pretty much the whole time. I’ll allow it. 

Does HIIT count as cardio?

High-intensity interval training definitely taxes your cardiovascular system, but it's not necessarily the best workout when you're looking for a way to get some cardio in. If you're doing true HIIT, it's very intense, very short, and may have longish rest periods in between the hard intervals. You're working your anaerobic system, not just your aerobic capacity, so it has some of the same caveats as lifting weights.

What's more, a lot of "HIIT" videos out there aren't really HIIT, and aren't even necessarily good cardio. As I've written before, "HIIT" seems to mean "a video with a timer in the corner," regardless of what kind of workout you get out of it. If you're looking for a good cardio workout, it's better to find something where you know you'll be working aerobically—which means being able to breathe rather than gasp—throughout the whole workout.

What other exercises count as cardio? 

I’ve given some examples already, but let me give you a longer list of things that are definitely cardio, if you do them in any sort of normal way (steady state or intervals, especially if the intervals use active rest like walking).

• Running, jogging, or run/walk intervals (indoor or outdoor)

• Cycling (indoor or outdoor)

• Rowing on a gym machine

• Paddling or rowing a small boat

• Jumping rope

• Dancing (truly the most underrated form of at-home cardio)

• Stairmaster or stepmill machines

• Climbing machines like the Jacob’s Ladder or Versaclimber

• Elliptical machines

• Swimming

• Roller skating or rollerblading

• Yard work or housework that has you moving continuously (like pushing a lawn mower or shoveling snow)

I also have a list of cardio options here that goes into more detail about many of the above, and here’s a list of chores and recreational activities that can also count (although many are moderate level, like walking). 

Hopefully these examples help you choose some exercise to do. If you have specific athletic goals, though (like running a 5K or passing a fitness test for work) you’ll want to look into a training program that is geared toward those goals. 

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