Q. I had a personal trainer in Vancouver but it got expensive so I am going to try it on my own. I need to lose 30lbs and my last trainer had me doing 45-minutes of cardio per day, is that necessary?

A. 45-minutes of cardio per day is a lot of ca

rdio! At most I would recommend that you do 45-minutes five times per week, as it is important to have some time off. Cardio recommendations depend a lot on the person. If you feel that it is too much and worry about burning out then you should definitely reduce it. I have seen people get great results performing 20-25 minutes of cardio 3-5times per week. Cardiovascular exercise should not be performed specifically to lose weight as it is also important for the health of your heart.

It is a great idea to integrate some outdoor cardiovascular exercise into your routine. Vancouver is such an amazing city and performing cardio outdoors can help us all appreciate that. Think about snowshoeing at any of the local mountains once per week in the winter months and going for a hike, in-line skate, or bike ride in the warmer months. Kayaking can also be great cardiovascular exercise and lets us take advantage of the water that surrounds us.

It is important to perform cardiovascular exercise as a regular part of your fitness routine so ensure that you pick a level that fits into your lifestyle. The key is to combine your cardio with strength training and healthy eating. If you take a look at how many calories you can burn with 45-minutes of cardio (say 400 cal’s) and then look at how easy it is to consume 400 calories(3.5Tbs Olive Oil has approx 420 Cal’s) then you will realize quickly that the best way to lose weight is to monitor the calories that you consume.