April 11, 2025 • 28 mins
Feeling exhausted instead of energized after cardio? Not seeing the fat loss results you used to? It’s time to rethink how cardio fits into your fitness plan. In this episode, we’re diving deep into how cardio affects hormones, metabolism, and fat loss—especially for women over 35. Because here’s the truth: more cardio isn’t the answer, but the right cardio is.
Join me as we break down the different types of cardio, how they impact your body, and how to structure your week for maximum fat loss and longevity.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔ The three types of cardio (LISS, moderate intensity, HIIT) and their benefits
✔ How cardio affects your hormones and metabolism post-35
✔ Why too much cardio can work against you
✔ How to structure your workouts for optimal fat loss, muscle retention, and overall health
✔ The ideal balance of strength training and cardio for women over 35
✔ Why your body craves a different approach to fitness as you age
Key Takeaways:
💡 Low-intensity steady-state (LISS) cardio helps with recovery and stress relief
💡 Moderate-intensity cardio builds aerobic capacity and supports heart health
💡 High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is best in small doses for power and metabolism
💡 Excessive cardio can increase cortisol, leading to muscle loss and fat retention
💡 Strength training is crucial for insulin sensitivity, metabolism, and longevity
💡 A balanced approach that includes different types of cardio and strength training leads to better results
KatFit Strength Program:
If you’re tired of feeling stuck and not seeing the results you want, my KatFit Strength program is designed for women juggling it all—kids, career, life. It combines strategic strength training, smart cardio, and nutrition support tailored to your hormones. DM me “STRONG” on Instagram (@KatFitStrength) or check the show notes for the link to learn more.
How to Connect:
📲 Follow me on Instagram: @KatFitStrength
📩 DM me “STRONG” for coaching details
🔗 Check out the KatFit Strength program here
🎙 Subscribe to MilesFromHerView for more episodes on strength, mindset, and fitness tailored for busy women
☎️ - Schedule a complimentary call to see if KatFit Strength is a good fit for you: https://katfit.moxieapp.com/public/katfit/consultation-call
📩 KatFit Strength Weekly Newsletter:
https://katfit.kit.com/7564404daa
❓ - Have A Question About Strength Training, Nutrition, and cardio training? Submit It HERE: https://forms.gle/kndmqaf91psZEmPs6
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kat (00:00):
All right, let's set the scene.
It's Monday, your alarm clockgoes off and you have your
workout to do.
The kids are either sleeping orgetting ready for school.
You grab your coffee and youhave your time to get your
workout done.
Today's workout is cardio, andyou think to yourself, Ugh, do I
go for a run, a hit class orjust walk and call it a day?
(00:24):
You used to feel amazing.
After cardio, you'd sweat feelaccomplished and see results.
But now.
You feel exhausted instead ofenergized.
You're not losing the fat likeyou used to.
Your joints ache more, you'rehungrier craving carbs, and your
body just feels stuck.
Sound familiar?
Today we're going deep in on howcardio affects hormones,
(00:46):
metabolism, and fat loss,because here's the truth, more
cardio is not the answer.
The right cardio is.
Let's get into it.
Welcome to MilesFromHerView, thepodcast powered by KatFit
Strength, where busy women likeyou find practical solutions to
fuel your fitness journey withauthenticity and resilience.
(01:08):
I'm Kat, your host, a mom of twoactive boys, a business owner,
and an ultra marathon runner anda strength trainer in her
forties with nearly two decadesof experience.
I'm here to help you cut throughthe noise of fads, hacks, and
quick fixes.
This is a space where wecelebrate womanhood and
motherhood.
All while building strength andresilience and reconnecting with
(01:31):
you from a place ofself-compassion and worthiness.
Whether you're lacing up yourrunning shoes to go out for a
run, driving your kids topractice or squeezing in a
moment for yourself, I'm righthere in the trenches with you.
Let's dive in.
Hey everyone.
I'm Kat.
I am your host here onMilesFromHerView podcast, and I
(01:51):
am excited to talk about allthings cardio.
If you've been listening to thispodcast for a while, you know
I'm a runner.
I enjoy nothing more thangetting out on the trails and
running through some miles.
Now, of course, that being said,there are so many different ways
to get cardio in, and we'regonna go over and talk about
that today.
We're specifically going to talkabout how to do cardio after the
(02:16):
age of 35, because cardio ishonestly marketed to us as the
holy grail for fat loss.
Running more, doing endless spinclasses or grinding through hit
circuits, but somehow.
It just does not, I'm gonna saydrive the needle where we want
it to go.
So today we're gonna be breakingdown the different types of
(02:37):
cardio and what actually to do,how cardio affects your hormones
and metabolism.
Post 35, how to structure yourweak for maximum fat loss and
longevity.
How much cardio is too much.
At the end of this episode,you'll walk away with a bit more
of a clear plan on how to usecardio as a tool, not as an
(02:57):
entire fitness strategy.
I.
As I mentioned, I am a runner,and I'll say these different
types of cardio, which we willgo into is something that's also
incorporated into my plan.
So if you are listening andyou're training for a race no
matter what the distance is,these are things that can also
be incorporated and should beincorporated into your plan.
(03:21):
We're gonna go into definingcardio.
Cardio or aerobic Exercise isany movement that elevates your
heart rate.
It improves oxygen efficiency,it strengthens the heart,
improves circulation, and helpswith overall endurance.
So that's what cardio is.
Defined as, so we really wannathink about it is it's really
(03:41):
helping our heart gain thatstrength and work more
efficiently.
There are three types of cardiothat are breaking down, and
again, if you are someonetraining specifically for a,
running event.
Your, your plan should honestlyinclude all three of these.
It's going to be more sportsspecific in that matter, even if
(04:02):
you are a cyclist and you'retraining for, um, a cycling
event or you're a triathlete.
So your training plan should bepretty encompassing with these
three different types of cardio.
So the first one is lowintensity, steady state.
Which is abbreviated LISS thatis what we're talking about
really in that zone one or twoof that heart rate.
(04:22):
So when I say zone, that meanswhere your heart rate is, and
that is specific to you.
Your heart rate zoned willchange a little bit as you get
in shape over time, but it isspecific to you.
For Lis it's walking slowcycling, easy swimming.
This is what we really wannathink about for like recovery,
stress relief, relief, i.
(04:43):
Moderate intensity is zone twoto three, and that's jogging,
rowing, steady state biking.
So this is really good forbuilding that aerobic capacity
or that heart health and byjogging, I hate that word, but
what I want you to think aboutis like very easy conversational
pace.
Effort, it's a lower.
mile pace than what your all outor your race pace is now.
(05:06):
High intensity hit is zone fourto five.
These are sprint intervals,Metcon hill sprints, and this is
best for power explosive andmetabolic conditioning.
So why all this matters is, andhow it pertains to our and our
health, especially as we getover the age of 35.
It, it, I'm gonna argue it, itmatters.
(05:27):
Whatever age you're at.
But when we get over the age of35, our VO two max, our oxygen
capacity naturally declines andwe need cardio to maintain it.
There's a number of researchstudies out there that state,
and have found the correlationto a lower VO O2 max number
with, decreased longevity.
So we really wanna make surethat our.
(05:49):
Heart is healthy and runningefficiently.
The other thing is heartdisease.
So our heart disease riskincreases post menopause.
However, Aerobic exerciseprotects us against heart
disease.
So that is a huge finally thehormone shift, post 35, changes
(06:10):
how we process fuel andrecovery.
So we need a balanced approach.
The previous episode that I wentinto last week, I really broke
down the three types ofestrogen, how it impacts.
Hormones, and it was mainlyaround around strength training.
I'm going to kind of give alittle bit of a recap here.
It's not gonna be as intense asI did in that last episode.
(06:30):
Estrogen and cortisol.
So this is a bit of adouble-edged sword.
So working out is a stress, andwe often see on social media we
need to get our cortal levelsdown.
We need to not stress ourselvesout.
Well, we need cortisol.
Your cortisol levels are nevergonna be at a zero.
You need cortisol to survive,but the problem is, is when
cortisol gets too high, soestrogen.
(06:51):
Also plays a factor in there.
So estrogen supports fatmetabolism and insulin
sensitivity.
So it helps us use carbs and fatefficiently.
As estrogen declines in midlife,it makes it easier to store fat,
especially around the belly.
And cortisol is a stresshormone, and that increases when
(07:12):
we have too much cardio, whichleads to muscle loss and fat
retention.
So these two work together Iwant you to know that.
There's no doom and gloom.
We're gonna get to how all thiscan work together and why we
need to have a solid plan forour cardio because it all works
together as well.
As, I'm gonna say this strengthtraining needs to be in there is
(07:32):
too.
So the role of the insulin andmetabolism.
So muscle is insulin sensitive,so the more muscle you have, the
better your body handles carbs.
It allows for better bloodsugar, stabilization.
It allows for you, your body tobe more metabolically active so
(07:53):
that you can burn more energy,also known as calories.
So it is something that helpsyou be more efficient, too much
cardio.
Without strength training,you're gonna lose muscle and
you're gonna have a slowermetabolism.
Fast intense workouts, spikeglucose and can lead to energy
(08:14):
crashes if it's doneexcessively.
you're going to be overlystressing your body if all
you're doing is hit workoutsversus having a more diverse
cardio plan.
So the key takeaway here isstrength is huge and cardio also
needs to be in there.
We want a balance of study stateand hi for hormonal health.
(08:36):
I'm gonna take a quick breakhere and I'm gonna tell you
about KatFit Strength.
It's the program that I designedfor women who.
Are juggling it all.
Kids life, career, you name it.
And if you're really tired ofjust feeling stuck and doing
random workouts or not seeingresults that you want, KatFit
strength gives you realstrategy, tailored strength
(08:57):
training, plus smart cardio,nutrition support.
That works for you, yourhormones, and not against
yourself, your schedule or yourhormones.
So DM me strong on Instagram atKatFit Strength, or check out
the link in the show notes tolearn more.
All right, let's dive back in.
Now that we know the differenttypes of cardio, how do we
(09:18):
incorporate it into our week?
I'm gonna use that seven daytimeframe because it just makes
it easier.
There's many different ways youcan break up your workout
schedule this is not anabsolutism.
I have clients that are on manydifferent strategies that are
seeing results.
The most important thing that Ican press upon is it has to work
(09:42):
with your life, your capacity,and just feel good to you.
Because I've talked about allthe different types of cardio.
Please keep in mind that this isa guideline, a template in a
perfect situation, and then wecan apply it to you.
(10:03):
So we want about three to fourdays of strength training.
We wanna focus on musclepreservation, metabolic boost,
bone density, all thosedifferent things.
So in the last podcast I wentover how to framework this.
Now I wanna think we're layeringon that cardio with that
Strength training.
In the last episode, I talkedabout doing full body strength
(10:23):
training days because that isgoing to help you build muscle,
have that coordination,stability, balance, everything
that you need.
Now, for cardio, we want two tothree days of zone two cardio,
which is about 30 to 45 minutesessions.
Again, it's in ranges and ifyour life, don't have that time,
(10:45):
no big deal.
Do one or two.
Work on your level.
And the reason behind this isagain, it helps with heart
health, fat oxidation, and thatendurance.
So the examples of this is likeeasy running at a conversational
pace, rowing, swimming, cycling,all these things that are going
to be, I know you're not havinga conversation in the pool, but
(11:05):
you're going to have that nice,easy conversation pace that you
are.
Putting in that effort, butyou're not overwhelmed.
And then we want one to two daysof hits, so that's about 15 to
20 minutes max and durationthere.
And that focuses on, that powerand athleticism, metabolic
conditioning that we want.
So sprint intervals, sledpushes, battle ropes, et cetera.
(11:27):
So that is the framework.
What are the dos and don'ts.
Do I do cardio every day?
Do I do it on separate days?
Do I do it fasted in themorning?
Do I do it on recovery days?
So first off, with strengthtraining and cardio, there are a
(11:47):
couple different ways you can doit.
If you wanna get in cardio anddo lifting.
You can prioritize cardio beforea lift or vice versa.
The differences are very small.
And I don't want you to getstuck in the minute details to
the point where you feelcrippled and you are not doing
(12:09):
anything at all if you aretraining for a running event.
So for me, I like to do cardio.
In the morning and I have aboutfive to six hours before I
strength train.
That's enough time for me torecover so that I'm getting the
stimulus of the cardio session,that I can then get the benefits
(12:30):
of the strength workout later.
Now, some days I don't have thatability.
Therefore my lifting comes aftermy cardio.
Am I going to sweat that Ididn't get the minute benefits
it I'm not gonna sweat about thedifferences there.
Okay.
Can you do cardio on separatedays?
(12:50):
Sure.
Yes.
I don't recommend fast workoutsin the morning.
Okay.
Because there's a lot ofdifferent methodologies around
this.
And.
What I find with the clientsthat I've worked with, also what
I have found with myself ishaving something small to eat
(13:14):
before your workout will helpyou have more energy and power
before or during the workout aswell as.
After the workout.
The other thing, you're notgonna have this crashing effect
post-workout where you feelabsolutely lethargic and
exhausted.
So I always encourage to have asmall snack before a workout.
(13:35):
So if I'm working out firstthing in the morning, and I
don't have time to eat a fullbreakfast, and I have trained
myself again, I'm doing ultrarunning, so I'm going out for
longer.
I also have to eat on runs, so.
That's a little bit differentfor myself.
I've trained my gut to be ableto handle more food, but if I'm
(13:57):
going out and it's just a quickrun I'll grab two gram crackers.
So getting something like that,or it could be if you're like, I
really can't eat anything beforea workout, drinking a little
juice and before you go off,juice has sugar, your body needs
that for a workout that is just,I don't, again, that little bit
(14:20):
of juice is going to be fine.
I want you to have something tostart that metabolic process so
that your body can feel goodthroughout that workout.
To break down the sample week alittle bit more so I can give
you the idea of how stringtraining and cardio work
together we're gonna use a sevenday cycle, starting with Monday.
It will be a strength day, andthen a 20 minute list walk.
(14:44):
So low intensity Tuesday.
Zone two cardio 30 to 45 minutesof easy conversational, it's not
as a leisure walk like that.
Monday is, it's more of likewe're putting an effort, but
you're not gasping for error asyou're carrying on a
conversation.
(15:05):
if you remember back to lastweek's episode or if you didn't
listen to last week's episode,that is paired on a day where
that's mobility.
On that day, Monday.
In the scenario that I gave inlast week's episode was, a heavy
lifting session where it waslower reps, and so that's where
(15:25):
a good walk will help.
After that, if you're feeling alittle stiff, it'll keep that
body moving.
So Tuesday is just zone two,cardio and mobility.
Wednesday is more of thatmoderate or that hypertrophy
lifting, and so this is where wewanna.
Pair it with a little bit moreof explosive.
Short hit workout Thursday, thatwas another mobility day, and
(15:48):
that was doing a list walk hereFriday another strength day.
And we want that like hybrid ofcardio and strength in there.
And then Saturday zone twocardio.
So get out, do some hiking,biking, riding, swimming, you
know, get out and enjoy Sunday.
A full day of rest, or you cando an active recovery playing in
(16:08):
the yard with kids at theplayground, or going out for a
nice list walk.
Just easy.
Just a very easy, easy walk sohere's a big myth that I hear a
lot, and maybe you've heard ittoo.
More cardio equals more fatloss.
We've been fed this idea thatthe key to weight loss is more
cardio burning through morecalories, through running, spin
(16:31):
classes, HIIT workouts, and anyother heart pumping activities.
Just.
Not the truth.
Fat loss is dictated more bymuscle mass metabolism and
overall energy balance than justcalories burnt.
A good metric for a greatworkout is not how many calories
you burnt during that workout.
(16:52):
The goal of a workout should notbe burning the most calories.
Strength really dictates yourmetabolism.
Muscle is a metabolically activetissue and it burns more
calories, also known as energyat rest than fat.
That means the more muscle youhave, the higher your basal
(17:14):
metabolic rate, BMR, the numberof calories your body's gonna
burn just to keep you alive.
With that, again, you don't haveto be a bodybuilder in order to
have a good BMR.
How muscle affects fat loss ismore muscle equal, higher daily
caloric burn, sitting, sleeping.
(17:35):
Muscle improves your insulinsensitivity.
This is key for women who are inperimenopause to menopause
because we become more insulinresistant.
And so if your body is able touse more carbs more efficiently
instead of storing them as fat,well you're going to have a
(17:56):
healthier, more happymetabolism, and your body
composition is going to behealthier.
Preserving muscle preventsmetabolic slowdowns.
Okay, so this happens when werely way too much on cardio
without strength trainingbecause you are not stressing
(18:16):
the muscles by changing up theadaptation.
Do you maintain strength withcardio?
Yes, but not at the rate you aregoing to.
With string training.
So let's say two women bothweigh 150 pounds, one has 30%
body fat and the other has 20%.
Even if they eat the same, thewoman who has more muscle will
(18:39):
burn more calories daily.
So makes it easier for her tohave a a leaner body And I wanna
say this is the whole point, isnot to shrink yourself and be
thin.
The whole point is you can feel.
Stronger, be more, do more, allthe things you wanna do.
The point of helping yourmetabolism is to help your
(19:01):
overall longevity because ifyour body, continues to store
more adipose tissue and yourmetabolism isn't, functioning as
well, you are at risk formetabolic diseases and we want
our health.
Freedom for as long as possible.
(19:21):
So doing these things, havingstrength training and a good
cardio training plan is going tohelp it.
So the role of cardio is asupplement.
It's not the main event.
We want both strength trainingand cardio together.
So it's not to say it'scompletely useless and just
never do it, but.
We want to be strategic aboutit.
(19:42):
So cardio helps with that.
Fat oxidation, so burning thestored fat for energy, but it's
also best when paired withstrength training.
Again, as I've said, too muchcardio, especially long
duration, high intensity ofcardio.
Can cause muscle loss, if youare not fueling and recovering
properly.
Fueling means eating.
(20:03):
We need all the macro andmicronutrients in our body,
macronutrients, carbs, protein,fat, and micronutrients are all
the minerals, the vitamins that.
We derive from Whole Foods.
I also argue, fiber as a minimacro.
It is so good and we need fiber.
(20:26):
So even though it's not themainstream one, I make it a
little mini macro there becauseit is something we also should
be paying attention to.
And recovering recovery is huge.
I've talked about it before inhow we want at least a day off,
if not two days, and making surewe are recovering in between
workouts before having a biggerdemand on our body.
(20:49):
So chronic cardio plus caloriedeficits equal metabolic
adaptation.
So where the body slows down fatloss is to conserve energy.
We want to make sure the body.
Is functioning well on allcylinders here.
So why Too much cardio backfiresfor fat loss because it
(21:12):
increases cortisol distresshormone, which leads to fat
storage, especially belly fat.
It can cause muscle breakdowninstead of muscle preservation,
and it can lead to just asluggish metabolism, so your
body burns fewer calories overtime as it adapts to the cardio
to review kind of that hierarchyof how we want to, decrease fat
(21:38):
and get that great bodyrecomposition is more muscle,
less fat.
Here's the hierarchy.
We really wanna prioritize thatstrength training.
You know, ideally I would lovethree to four.
Two to three is brilliant.
Two is great.
Even if you're like one to twois all you have the capacity.
Amazing.
We want to get that in there.
So if you're looking to start inthis body composition transition
(22:02):
where you want to maintain andgain muscle mass, even though
we're talking about cardio,start with strength training, it
builds and preserves thatmuscle.
It also is going to help.
Metabolism.
With that in mind, if you'relike, all I have the capacity
for is one to two workouts perweek, prioritize that strength
(22:23):
training daily movement, whichis also referred to as
non-exercise activitythermogenic.
That is just a fun little way tosay we are a need to move
throughout the day.
That is huge.
If you can't do a traditionalcardio session, like I've
already been talking about.
(22:44):
See if you can just get a simplepedometer.
You don't need any fancy datawristwatch, et cetera.
Just get a pedometer track howmany steps you're getting
throughout the day.
Establish that as your baselineif you are getting 2000 steps
per day.
Okay, that is our baseline.
Let's bump that up to trying toget two to 3000 steps or three
(23:05):
to 4,000 steps.
I know that 10,000 step.
Rule, so to speak, is out there,but we don't wanna start at, my
baseline is 2000 and now I haveto get 10,000.
That is a massive jump.
It is going to feel impossibleafter a week of trying to force
yourself to take these steps.
(23:26):
So establish your baseline withthat daily movement.
See how many steps you'retaking.
Again, you don't need to buy anyfancy device, just get a basic
pedometer.
Wear it for a week or wear itthree to four days out of the
week.
Try not to do consecutive daysjust to get an idea how much
movement you're gettingthroughout the day.
(23:46):
Once you establish that, thenset a benchmark again using that
2K, bump it up to maybe three K.
If you feel confident, you'relike, okay, I think
aggressively, I wanna try and dothree to 4K steps daily.
Fantastic.
So I've thrown a lot at you wereally wanna focus on not doing
endless cardio.
Lift heavy, eat enough protein,move daily outside of workouts.
(24:08):
Is huge.
Use cardio as a finisher or foractive recovery, not as your
main workout.
Use it as something that allowsyou to get that extra good
cardiac health benefit focus ona total energy balance, okay?
It's just not the caloriesburned any workout.
That is not the sole thing thatis gonna move that needle
(24:29):
forward so that you're seeingthat body composition change.
It is everything you do.
With that said, we don't wannadrive ourself crazy, maybe you
are getting that strengthtraining three to four times per
week and you are getting a hitworkout, a list workout.
You know you are getting a goodvariety and there, but you're
(24:51):
sitting all day.
Well, that's an area where wecan get more movement in.
Or maybe you need to incorporatemore mobility.
Find where you're at.
And see where you can add alittle bit more.
But the bottom line here is, Ireally want you to take this
away, is that strength trainingdrives that body composition
change.
Cardio supports the process.
(25:13):
It shouldn't be the foundationfor fat loss.
All right, let's wrap this up.
Cardio is a tool, not a wholestrategy.
Prioritize that strength andbalance it with cardio for best
body composition result.
Recovery.
Recovery.
Recovery recovery.
I cannot say it enough.
It is key.
(25:34):
So if we are not recovering,that stress hormone is going to
stay high and it is not gonnacome down, and it's going to
sabotage our efforts in all thefantastic work we are doing in
our daily movement andstrengthening move daily.
We want that neat movement everyday and challenge yourself.
(25:57):
Get some zone two.
Get some hidden, but don'toverdo it.
Your action items here today areevaluate where you're at with
your cardio routine.
Are you doing too much or notenough?
Make small.
The emphasis on smalladjustments, add in, walking.
Check out your step count.
Maybe we need to bump that up alittle bit.
Focus on are we getting somegood zone two steady state in
(26:21):
there?
And strength should beconsistent.
But if you are like, this allsounds great, I'm exhausted.
I, I'm so tired of just tryingto guess.
I just want to know what to doand I don't wanna figure out a
plan.
I got you.
Just message me on the podcastor send me a DM on KatFit
strength and.
(26:41):
I'm so happy to help, and ifthis was great and you got a lot
out of it, share it with afriend.
Thank you for tuning in toMilesFromHerView, powered by
KatFit Strength.
If this podcast inspires you,don't keep it for yourself.
Hit follow or subscribe to stayupdated on the new episodes, and
(27:01):
leave us a review to help morewomen and moms discover this
space.
Your feedback fuels this podcastand I'd love to hear what's
working for you or what topicsyou want to dive into Next.
You can connect with me onInstagram at KatFit Strength, or
share this episode.
With a friend who is ready toembrace her strength.
Remember, fitness isn't aboutperfection.
(27:23):
It's about showing up foryourself and finding strength in
every step of your journey.
Until next time, keep movingforward one mile at a time.
All right, let's set the scene.
It's Monday, your alarm clockgoes off and you have your
workout to do.
The kids are either sleeping orgetting ready for school.
You grab your coffee and youhave your time to get your
workout done.
Today's workout is cardio, andyou think to yourself, Ugh, do I
go for a run, a hit class orjust walk and call it a day?
(00:24):
You used to feel amazing.
After cardio, you'd sweat feelaccomplished and see results.
But now.
You feel exhausted instead ofenergized.
You're not losing the fat likeyou used to.
Your joints ache more, you'rehungrier craving carbs, and your
body just feels stuck.
Sound familiar?
Today we're going deep in on howcardio affects hormones,
(00:46):
metabolism, and fat loss,because here's the truth, more
cardio is not the answer.
The right cardio is.
Let's get into it.
Welcome to MilesFromHerView, thepodcast powered by KatFit
Strength, where busy women likeyou find practical solutions to
fuel your fitness journey withauthenticity and resilience.
(01:08):
I'm Kat, your host, a mom of twoactive boys, a business owner,
and an ultra marathon runner anda strength trainer in her
forties with nearly two decadesof experience.
I'm here to help you cut throughthe noise of fads, hacks, and
quick fixes.
This is a space where wecelebrate womanhood and
motherhood.
All while building strength andresilience and reconnecting with
(01:31):
you from a place ofself-compassion and worthiness.
Whether you're lacing up yourrunning shoes to go out for a
run, driving your kids topractice or squeezing in a
moment for yourself, I'm righthere in the trenches with you.
Let's dive in.
Hey everyone.
I'm Kat.
I am your host here onMilesFromHerView podcast, and I
(01:51):
am excited to talk about allthings cardio.
If you've been listening to thispodcast for a while, you know
I'm a runner.
I enjoy nothing more thangetting out on the trails and
running through some miles.
Now, of course, that being said,there are so many different ways
to get cardio in, and we'regonna go over and talk about
that today.
We're specifically going to talkabout how to do cardio after the
(02:16):
age of 35, because cardio ishonestly marketed to us as the
holy grail for fat loss.
Running more, doing endless spinclasses or grinding through hit
circuits, but somehow.
It just does not, I'm gonna saydrive the needle where we want
it to go.
So today we're gonna be breakingdown the different types of
(02:37):
cardio and what actually to do,how cardio affects your hormones
and metabolism.
Post 35, how to structure yourweak for maximum fat loss and
longevity.
How much cardio is too much.
At the end of this episode,you'll walk away with a bit more
of a clear plan on how to usecardio as a tool, not as an
(02:57):
entire fitness strategy.
I.
As I mentioned, I am a runner,and I'll say these different
types of cardio, which we willgo into is something that's also
incorporated into my plan.
So if you are listening andyou're training for a race no
matter what the distance is,these are things that can also
be incorporated and should beincorporated into your plan.
(03:21):
We're gonna go into definingcardio.
Cardio or aerobic Exercise isany movement that elevates your
heart rate.
It improves oxygen efficiency,it strengthens the heart,
improves circulation, and helpswith overall endurance.
So that's what cardio is.
Defined as, so we really wannathink about it is it's really
(03:41):
helping our heart gain thatstrength and work more
efficiently.
There are three types of cardiothat are breaking down, and
again, if you are someonetraining specifically for a,
running event.
Your, your plan should honestlyinclude all three of these.
It's going to be more sportsspecific in that matter, even if
(04:02):
you are a cyclist and you'retraining for, um, a cycling
event or you're a triathlete.
So your training plan should bepretty encompassing with these
three different types of cardio.
So the first one is lowintensity, steady state.
Which is abbreviated LISS thatis what we're talking about
really in that zone one or twoof that heart rate.
(04:22):
So when I say zone, that meanswhere your heart rate is, and
that is specific to you.
Your heart rate zoned willchange a little bit as you get
in shape over time, but it isspecific to you.
For Lis it's walking slowcycling, easy swimming.
This is what we really wannathink about for like recovery,
stress relief, relief, i.
(04:43):
Moderate intensity is zone twoto three, and that's jogging,
rowing, steady state biking.
So this is really good forbuilding that aerobic capacity
or that heart health and byjogging, I hate that word, but
what I want you to think aboutis like very easy conversational
pace.
Effort, it's a lower.
mile pace than what your all outor your race pace is now.
(05:06):
High intensity hit is zone fourto five.
These are sprint intervals,Metcon hill sprints, and this is
best for power explosive andmetabolic conditioning.
So why all this matters is, andhow it pertains to our and our
health, especially as we getover the age of 35.
It, it, I'm gonna argue it, itmatters.
(05:27):
Whatever age you're at.
But when we get over the age of35, our VO two max, our oxygen
capacity naturally declines andwe need cardio to maintain it.
There's a number of researchstudies out there that state,
and have found the correlationto a lower VO O2 max number
with, decreased longevity.
So we really wanna make surethat our.
(05:49):
Heart is healthy and runningefficiently.
The other thing is heartdisease.
So our heart disease riskincreases post menopause.
However, Aerobic exerciseprotects us against heart
disease.
So that is a huge finally thehormone shift, post 35, changes
(06:10):
how we process fuel andrecovery.
So we need a balanced approach.
The previous episode that I wentinto last week, I really broke
down the three types ofestrogen, how it impacts.
Hormones, and it was mainlyaround around strength training.
I'm going to kind of give alittle bit of a recap here.
It's not gonna be as intense asI did in that last episode.
(06:30):
Estrogen and cortisol.
So this is a bit of adouble-edged sword.
So working out is a stress, andwe often see on social media we
need to get our cortal levelsdown.
We need to not stress ourselvesout.
Well, we need cortisol.
Your cortisol levels are nevergonna be at a zero.
You need cortisol to survive,but the problem is, is when
cortisol gets too high, soestrogen.
(06:51):
Also plays a factor in there.
So estrogen supports fatmetabolism and insulin
sensitivity.
So it helps us use carbs and fatefficiently.
As estrogen declines in midlife,it makes it easier to store fat,
especially around the belly.
And cortisol is a stresshormone, and that increases when
(07:12):
we have too much cardio, whichleads to muscle loss and fat
retention.
So these two work together Iwant you to know that.
There's no doom and gloom.
We're gonna get to how all thiscan work together and why we
need to have a solid plan forour cardio because it all works
together as well.
As, I'm gonna say this strengthtraining needs to be in there is
(07:32):
too.
So the role of the insulin andmetabolism.
So muscle is insulin sensitive,so the more muscle you have, the
better your body handles carbs.
It allows for better bloodsugar, stabilization.
It allows for you, your body tobe more metabolically active so
(07:53):
that you can burn more energy,also known as calories.
So it is something that helpsyou be more efficient, too much
cardio.
Without strength training,you're gonna lose muscle and
you're gonna have a slowermetabolism.
Fast intense workouts, spikeglucose and can lead to energy
(08:14):
crashes if it's doneexcessively.
you're going to be overlystressing your body if all
you're doing is hit workoutsversus having a more diverse
cardio plan.
So the key takeaway here isstrength is huge and cardio also
needs to be in there.
We want a balance of study stateand hi for hormonal health.
(08:36):
I'm gonna take a quick breakhere and I'm gonna tell you
about KatFit Strength.
It's the program that I designedfor women who.
Are juggling it all.
Kids life, career, you name it.
And if you're really tired ofjust feeling stuck and doing
random workouts or not seeingresults that you want, KatFit
strength gives you realstrategy, tailored strength
(08:57):
training, plus smart cardio,nutrition support.
That works for you, yourhormones, and not against
yourself, your schedule or yourhormones.
So DM me strong on Instagram atKatFit Strength, or check out
the link in the show notes tolearn more.
All right, let's dive back in.
Now that we know the differenttypes of cardio, how do we
(09:18):
incorporate it into our week?
I'm gonna use that seven daytimeframe because it just makes
it easier.
There's many different ways youcan break up your workout
schedule this is not anabsolutism.
I have clients that are on manydifferent strategies that are
seeing results.
The most important thing that Ican press upon is it has to work
(09:42):
with your life, your capacity,and just feel good to you.
Because I've talked about allthe different types of cardio.
Please keep in mind that this isa guideline, a template in a
perfect situation, and then wecan apply it to you.
(10:03):
So we want about three to fourdays of strength training.
We wanna focus on musclepreservation, metabolic boost,
bone density, all thosedifferent things.
So in the last podcast I wentover how to framework this.
Now I wanna think we're layeringon that cardio with that
Strength training.
In the last episode, I talkedabout doing full body strength
(10:23):
training days because that isgoing to help you build muscle,
have that coordination,stability, balance, everything
that you need.
Now, for cardio, we want two tothree days of zone two cardio,
which is about 30 to 45 minutesessions.
Again, it's in ranges and ifyour life, don't have that time,
(10:45):
no big deal.
Do one or two.
Work on your level.
And the reason behind this isagain, it helps with heart
health, fat oxidation, and thatendurance.
So the examples of this is likeeasy running at a conversational
pace, rowing, swimming, cycling,all these things that are going
to be, I know you're not havinga conversation in the pool, but
(11:05):
you're going to have that nice,easy conversation pace that you
are.
Putting in that effort, butyou're not overwhelmed.
And then we want one to two daysof hits, so that's about 15 to
20 minutes max and durationthere.
And that focuses on, that powerand athleticism, metabolic
conditioning that we want.
So sprint intervals, sledpushes, battle ropes, et cetera.
(11:27):
So that is the framework.
What are the dos and don'ts.
Do I do cardio every day?
Do I do it on separate days?
Do I do it fasted in themorning?
Do I do it on recovery days?
So first off, with strengthtraining and cardio, there are a
(11:47):
couple different ways you can doit.
If you wanna get in cardio anddo lifting.
You can prioritize cardio beforea lift or vice versa.
The differences are very small.
And I don't want you to getstuck in the minute details to
the point where you feelcrippled and you are not doing
(12:09):
anything at all if you aretraining for a running event.
So for me, I like to do cardio.
In the morning and I have aboutfive to six hours before I
strength train.
That's enough time for me torecover so that I'm getting the
stimulus of the cardio session,that I can then get the benefits
(12:30):
of the strength workout later.
Now, some days I don't have thatability.
Therefore my lifting comes aftermy cardio.
Am I going to sweat that Ididn't get the minute benefits
it I'm not gonna sweat about thedifferences there.
Okay.
Can you do cardio on separatedays?
(12:50):
Sure.
Yes.
I don't recommend fast workoutsin the morning.
Okay.
Because there's a lot ofdifferent methodologies around
this.
And.
What I find with the clientsthat I've worked with, also what
I have found with myself ishaving something small to eat
(13:14):
before your workout will helpyou have more energy and power
before or during the workout aswell as.
After the workout.
The other thing, you're notgonna have this crashing effect
post-workout where you feelabsolutely lethargic and
exhausted.
So I always encourage to have asmall snack before a workout.
(13:35):
So if I'm working out firstthing in the morning, and I
don't have time to eat a fullbreakfast, and I have trained
myself again, I'm doing ultrarunning, so I'm going out for
longer.
I also have to eat on runs, so.
That's a little bit differentfor myself.
I've trained my gut to be ableto handle more food, but if I'm
(13:57):
going out and it's just a quickrun I'll grab two gram crackers.
So getting something like that,or it could be if you're like, I
really can't eat anything beforea workout, drinking a little
juice and before you go off,juice has sugar, your body needs
that for a workout that is just,I don't, again, that little bit
(14:20):
of juice is going to be fine.
I want you to have something tostart that metabolic process so
that your body can feel goodthroughout that workout.
To break down the sample week alittle bit more so I can give
you the idea of how stringtraining and cardio work
together we're gonna use a sevenday cycle, starting with Monday.
It will be a strength day, andthen a 20 minute list walk.
(14:44):
So low intensity Tuesday.
Zone two cardio 30 to 45 minutesof easy conversational, it's not
as a leisure walk like that.
Monday is, it's more of likewe're putting an effort, but
you're not gasping for error asyou're carrying on a
conversation.
(15:05):
if you remember back to lastweek's episode or if you didn't
listen to last week's episode,that is paired on a day where
that's mobility.
On that day, Monday.
In the scenario that I gave inlast week's episode was, a heavy
lifting session where it waslower reps, and so that's where
(15:25):
a good walk will help.
After that, if you're feeling alittle stiff, it'll keep that
body moving.
So Tuesday is just zone two,cardio and mobility.
Wednesday is more of thatmoderate or that hypertrophy
lifting, and so this is where wewanna.
Pair it with a little bit moreof explosive.
Short hit workout Thursday, thatwas another mobility day, and
(15:48):
that was doing a list walk hereFriday another strength day.
And we want that like hybrid ofcardio and strength in there.
And then Saturday zone twocardio.
So get out, do some hiking,biking, riding, swimming, you
know, get out and enjoy Sunday.
A full day of rest, or you cando an active recovery playing in
(16:08):
the yard with kids at theplayground, or going out for a
nice list walk.
Just easy.
Just a very easy, easy walk sohere's a big myth that I hear a
lot, and maybe you've heard ittoo.
More cardio equals more fatloss.
We've been fed this idea thatthe key to weight loss is more
cardio burning through morecalories, through running, spin
(16:31):
classes, HIIT workouts, and anyother heart pumping activities.
Just.
Not the truth.
Fat loss is dictated more bymuscle mass metabolism and
overall energy balance than justcalories burnt.
A good metric for a greatworkout is not how many calories
you burnt during that workout.
(16:52):
The goal of a workout should notbe burning the most calories.
Strength really dictates yourmetabolism.
Muscle is a metabolically activetissue and it burns more
calories, also known as energyat rest than fat.
That means the more muscle youhave, the higher your basal
(17:14):
metabolic rate, BMR, the numberof calories your body's gonna
burn just to keep you alive.
With that, again, you don't haveto be a bodybuilder in order to
have a good BMR.
How muscle affects fat loss ismore muscle equal, higher daily
caloric burn, sitting, sleeping.
(17:35):
Muscle improves your insulinsensitivity.
This is key for women who are inperimenopause to menopause
because we become more insulinresistant.
And so if your body is able touse more carbs more efficiently
instead of storing them as fat,well you're going to have a
(17:56):
healthier, more happymetabolism, and your body
composition is going to behealthier.
Preserving muscle preventsmetabolic slowdowns.
Okay, so this happens when werely way too much on cardio
without strength trainingbecause you are not stressing
(18:16):
the muscles by changing up theadaptation.
Do you maintain strength withcardio?
Yes, but not at the rate you aregoing to.
With string training.
So let's say two women bothweigh 150 pounds, one has 30%
body fat and the other has 20%.
Even if they eat the same, thewoman who has more muscle will
(18:39):
burn more calories daily.
So makes it easier for her tohave a a leaner body And I wanna
say this is the whole point, isnot to shrink yourself and be
thin.
The whole point is you can feel.
Stronger, be more, do more, allthe things you wanna do.
The point of helping yourmetabolism is to help your
(19:01):
overall longevity because ifyour body, continues to store
more adipose tissue and yourmetabolism isn't, functioning as
well, you are at risk formetabolic diseases and we want
our health.
Freedom for as long as possible.
(19:21):
So doing these things, havingstrength training and a good
cardio training plan is going tohelp it.
So the role of cardio is asupplement.
It's not the main event.
We want both strength trainingand cardio together.
So it's not to say it'scompletely useless and just
never do it, but.
We want to be strategic aboutit.
(19:42):
So cardio helps with that.
Fat oxidation, so burning thestored fat for energy, but it's
also best when paired withstrength training.
Again, as I've said, too muchcardio, especially long
duration, high intensity ofcardio.
Can cause muscle loss, if youare not fueling and recovering
properly.
Fueling means eating.
(20:03):
We need all the macro andmicronutrients in our body,
macronutrients, carbs, protein,fat, and micronutrients are all
the minerals, the vitamins that.
We derive from Whole Foods.
I also argue, fiber as a minimacro.
It is so good and we need fiber.
(20:26):
So even though it's not themainstream one, I make it a
little mini macro there becauseit is something we also should
be paying attention to.
And recovering recovery is huge.
I've talked about it before inhow we want at least a day off,
if not two days, and making surewe are recovering in between
workouts before having a biggerdemand on our body.
(20:49):
So chronic cardio plus caloriedeficits equal metabolic
adaptation.
So where the body slows down fatloss is to conserve energy.
We want to make sure the body.
Is functioning well on allcylinders here.
So why Too much cardio backfiresfor fat loss because it
(21:12):
increases cortisol distresshormone, which leads to fat
storage, especially belly fat.
It can cause muscle breakdowninstead of muscle preservation,
and it can lead to just asluggish metabolism, so your
body burns fewer calories overtime as it adapts to the cardio
to review kind of that hierarchyof how we want to, decrease fat
(21:38):
and get that great bodyrecomposition is more muscle,
less fat.
Here's the hierarchy.
We really wanna prioritize thatstrength training.
You know, ideally I would lovethree to four.
Two to three is brilliant.
Two is great.
Even if you're like one to twois all you have the capacity.
Amazing.
We want to get that in there.
So if you're looking to start inthis body composition transition
(22:02):
where you want to maintain andgain muscle mass, even though
we're talking about cardio,start with strength training, it
builds and preserves thatmuscle.
It also is going to help.
Metabolism.
With that in mind, if you'relike, all I have the capacity
for is one to two workouts perweek, prioritize that strength
(22:23):
training daily movement, whichis also referred to as
non-exercise activitythermogenic.
That is just a fun little way tosay we are a need to move
throughout the day.
That is huge.
If you can't do a traditionalcardio session, like I've
already been talking about.
(22:44):
See if you can just get a simplepedometer.
You don't need any fancy datawristwatch, et cetera.
Just get a pedometer track howmany steps you're getting
throughout the day.
Establish that as your baselineif you are getting 2000 steps
per day.
Okay, that is our baseline.
Let's bump that up to trying toget two to 3000 steps or three
(23:05):
to 4,000 steps.
I know that 10,000 step.
Rule, so to speak, is out there,but we don't wanna start at, my
baseline is 2000 and now I haveto get 10,000.
That is a massive jump.
It is going to feel impossibleafter a week of trying to force
yourself to take these steps.
(23:26):
So establish your baseline withthat daily movement.
See how many steps you'retaking.
Again, you don't need to buy anyfancy device, just get a basic
pedometer.
Wear it for a week or wear itthree to four days out of the
week.
Try not to do consecutive daysjust to get an idea how much
movement you're gettingthroughout the day.
(23:46):
Once you establish that, thenset a benchmark again using that
2K, bump it up to maybe three K.
If you feel confident, you'relike, okay, I think
aggressively, I wanna try and dothree to 4K steps daily.
Fantastic.
So I've thrown a lot at you wereally wanna focus on not doing
endless cardio.
Lift heavy, eat enough protein,move daily outside of workouts.
(24:08):
Is huge.
Use cardio as a finisher or foractive recovery, not as your
main workout.
Use it as something that allowsyou to get that extra good
cardiac health benefit focus ona total energy balance, okay?
It's just not the caloriesburned any workout.
That is not the sole thing thatis gonna move that needle
(24:29):
forward so that you're seeingthat body composition change.
It is everything you do.
With that said, we don't wannadrive ourself crazy, maybe you
are getting that strengthtraining three to four times per
week and you are getting a hitworkout, a list workout.
You know you are getting a goodvariety and there, but you're
(24:51):
sitting all day.
Well, that's an area where wecan get more movement in.
Or maybe you need to incorporatemore mobility.
Find where you're at.
And see where you can add alittle bit more.
But the bottom line here is, Ireally want you to take this
away, is that strength trainingdrives that body composition
change.
Cardio supports the process.
(25:13):
It shouldn't be the foundationfor fat loss.
All right, let's wrap this up.
Cardio is a tool, not a wholestrategy.
Prioritize that strength andbalance it with cardio for best
body composition result.
Recovery.
Recovery.
Recovery recovery.
I cannot say it enough.
It is key.
(25:34):
So if we are not recovering,that stress hormone is going to
stay high and it is not gonnacome down, and it's going to
sabotage our efforts in all thefantastic work we are doing in
our daily movement andstrengthening move daily.
We want that neat movement everyday and challenge yourself.
(25:57):
Get some zone two.
Get some hidden, but don'toverdo it.
Your action items here today areevaluate where you're at with
your cardio routine.
Are you doing too much or notenough?
Make small.
The emphasis on smalladjustments, add in, walking.
Check out your step count.
Maybe we need to bump that up alittle bit.
Focus on are we getting somegood zone two steady state in
(26:21):
there?
And strength should beconsistent.
But if you are like, this allsounds great, I'm exhausted.
I, I'm so tired of just tryingto guess.
I just want to know what to doand I don't wanna figure out a
plan.
I got you.
Just message me on the podcastor send me a DM on KatFit
strength and.
(26:41):
I'm so happy to help, and ifthis was great and you got a lot
out of it, share it with afriend.
Thank you for tuning in toMilesFromHerView, powered by
KatFit Strength.
If this podcast inspires you,don't keep it for yourself.
Hit follow or subscribe to stayupdated on the new episodes, and
(27:01):
leave us a review to help morewomen and moms discover this
space.
Your feedback fuels this podcastand I'd love to hear what's
working for you or what topicsyou want to dive into Next.
You can connect with me onInstagram at KatFit Strength, or
share this episode.
With a friend who is ready toembrace her strength.
Remember, fitness isn't aboutperfection.
(27:23):
It's about showing up foryourself and finding strength in
every step of your journey.
Until next time, keep movingforward one mile at a time.
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