Cardio Exercise: What Works, What Doesn't, and How to Make It Stick

When we talk about cardio exercise, any physical activity that raises your heart rate and keeps it up for a sustained period. Also known as aerobic exercise, it’s not just for weight loss—it’s the foundation of heart health, mood balance, and daily energy. For curvy bodies, cardio doesn’t mean running for an hour or sweating through a high-intensity class that leaves you drained. It means finding movement that feels good, fits your life, and actually sticks.

Not all cardio is created equal. walking, a low-impact, accessible form of cardio that improves circulation, lowers blood pressure, and burns fat without stressing joints shows up again and again in the research—and in our community. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the most sustainable. Then there’s HIIT workouts, short bursts of intense effort followed by rest, designed to spike metabolism and burn calories fast. They work—if you’re ready for them. But if you’re just starting out, or recovering from stress, or dealing with joint discomfort, pushing too hard can backfire. The truth? You don’t need to scream through a 20-minute circuit to get results. Sometimes, a 30-minute walk around the block, done consistently, does more for your body than five days of punishing workouts.

Cardio isn’t just about the heart—it’s about how you feel in your skin. When you move regularly, your stress hormones drop, your sleep improves, and your confidence grows. That’s why the posts below focus on real-life solutions: how long it takes to see changes from running, why walking beats fancy gadgets for belly fat, and when HIIT fits into a balanced routine. You’ll find advice on what to do when you’re short on time, what to skip when you’re tired, and how to make cardio feel like self-care, not punishment. No magic numbers. No extreme diets. Just practical, body-positive ways to move better, feel stronger, and keep going—no matter your shape or size.

What you’ll find here isn’t a list of ‘best’ exercises. It’s a collection of what actually works for real people with real lives—people who’ve tried the hype and found something better: consistency over intensity, joy over pressure, and progress that lasts.