Cardio Without Running?

My Search for Conditioning That Doesn’t Suck- part 1

As part of my Fit Over 40 project, I’m diving into conditioning—something I used to ignore but now realize is essential for long-term health. When you get older, there’s more of a need to do extra work to keep in shape. Conditioning was never my favorite. I could easily skip this when I was younger, but now, not so much. And I don’t want to be that guy that’s totally out of breath after walking a flight of stairs, so there’s work to be done!

But first, I have to share something. I mostly skipped conditioning because I really HATE the standard ‘go for a run’ type of conditioning. It bores me to go running or cycling for an hour without an actual destination to go. Besides that, I am very impatient. So when I did try running, I would just start running right away (as I said, I was in good health, so technically I could do this) for an hour or so. Only to wake up the next day to sour knees and ankles, because my body wasn’t used to that kind of impact for such a long time.

Well, that’s a problem. How do we fix that? By diving into what conditioning actually is, of course. In a true gentleman scientist fashion!

So, what exactly is conditioning? Since I never liked traditional cardio, I wanted to understand what my alternatives were. Let’s look at this definition:

conditioning refers to the process of improving the efficiency and capacity of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system to deliver oxygen to the muscles during physical activity.

Conditioning is developed through consistent exercise. You can do this (for instance) by running, cycling, swimming, rowing, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Also, conditioning consists of two parts: aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. These differ in how energy is generated, how long they can be sustained and what effect they have on your body. Let me explain.

Aerobic conditioning relies on oxygen to generate energy for prolonged activity. Running a marathon, for instance. You train this in the 50-75% of your max heartrate (zone 2 & 3, more on this in this article). Training like this strengthens your heart muscle. It lowers your resting heart rate and blood pressure. It lays the foundation for cardiovascular health, endurance, and fat metabolism.

Anaerobic conditioning does not rely on oxygen for energy production. It uses glycogen (carbohydrates stored in your body). It is used for high intensity activities, for a short amount of time. Sprinting, powerlifting, HIIT, that sort of thing. You train at 80-100% of your max heart rate (zone 4 & 5, see article). Training like this improves power, speed, and performance in high-intensity situations.

These two types of conditioning overlap, and training both is a very good idea. Aerobic training strengthens the heart and lungs, lowers resting heart rate, and improves circulation. Anaerobic training helps maintain vascular health, bone density, and insulin sensitivity, reducing risks of metabolic diseases. A combination of both training styles has been linked to longer lifespan and better quality of life. Don’t we all want that?

Next, I’ll explore fun alternatives to traditional cardio, and of course try them myself—because I still refuse to become a runner!

💡 About Fit Over 40

This article is part of my Fit Over 40 project, where I’m diving deep into what it takes to feel great after 40. Over the course of a year, I’ll be experimenting with physical, emotional, financial and social well-being—sharing my findings along the way. Want to follow the journey? Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an update!