Is Cardio Necessary? Why It’s Non-Negotiable for Your Health
Quick Answer:
Yes, cardio is necessary. Regular cardiovascular exercise strengthens your heart, improves endurance, and helps you live longer—no matter your age.
Whether your goal is better health, more endurance, or just extra energy, cardio isn’t optional. The science is clear, and if you’ve been wondering “Do I need cardio?” or “Is cardio necessary?” — the answer is absolutely yes.
Do I Really Need Cardio?
Yes. Cardio is essential for heart health, endurance, and longevity. Even 20–30 minutes, three times per week, can reduce risk of disease and boost energy.
Rising heart disease rates in young adults prove it’s a habit worth starting now.
Heart disease kills someone every 34 seconds in the U.S. Most people think that’s a problem for their parents or grandparents. It’s not. Bad heart health shows up at all ages — and waiting until you feel it is a losing game.
In fact, heart attacks among people aged 18 to 44 have surged by 66% since 2019, and one in five heart attacks now occurs in adults 40 or younger. Risk factors like obesity and diabetes are also climbing fast in the 20–44 age group.
Cardio isn’t just for athletes or people trying to lose weight — it’s the single most effective way to strengthen your heart, improve your endurance, and protect your long-term health. Building the habit early means you’ll keep those benefits for life.
Research shows that maintaining strong cardiovascular fitness can add an average of 8.9 years to your life — and not just more years, but better ones. More energy, less fatigue, and the ability to do the things you love for longer.
If you’re young, your biggest advantage is time. You can use it to build a habit that makes a massive difference in how you look, feel, and live. And the earlier you make it non-negotiable, the easier it is to keep for life.
Why Cardio Matters Before You Think It Does
Cardio isn’t just about preventing a future heart attack. It’s what helps you:
- Power through long days without crashing
- Handle stress without feeling wrecked
- Recover faster from workouts or sports
- Keep your mood and focus sharp
A strong heart and lungs make everything else easier — from climbing stairs to playing sports to traveling without feeling wiped out.
As Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, author of Aerobics and the man who popularized the concept of cardio fitness, put it:
“It is easier to maintain good health through proper exercise, diet, and emotional balance than to regain it once it is lost.”
How Cardio Actually Works
When you do cardio, your heart works harder to pump blood. That blood carries oxygen from your lungs to your muscles. The more regularly you train, the more efficient your body gets at:
- Strengthening the heart muscle so it can pump more blood per beat (lowering your resting heart rate)
- Expanding your lung capacity so you can take in more oxygen with each breath
- Increasing capillary networks — tiny blood vessels that deliver oxygen directly to working muscles
- Boosting mitochondrial function in your cells, which improves your muscles’ ability to use oxygen for energy
In simple terms: regular cardio makes your body better at moving oxygen and fuel where it’s needed and clearing waste like carbon dioxide and lactic acid. That’s why you feel less winded over time and recover faster between efforts.
Dr. Cooper summed it up like this:
“Improving the efficiency of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system is the single most important thing you can do for your health.”
How Much Cardio Do You Need?
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity cardiovascular exercise each week for long-term health.
A HupSix workout is 30 minutes and, depending on your fitness level, qualifies as moderate to high intensity. That means you can hit the guidelines with:
- 3 to 5 HupSix sessions per week
If you’re starting out, the best plan is to train every other day. This gives your body time to adapt while keeping the habit consistent.
Once you’re rolling, the main goal is to never take more than two days off between sessions. That rhythm keeps your fitness gains climbing instead of sliding backwards.
What does moderate and high intensity actually mean?
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Moderate intensity: Your heart rate is about 50–70% of your maximum (you can talk, but not sing).
- High intensity: Your heart rate is about 70–85% of your maximum (talking is tough, you’re mostly focused on breathing).
A quick way to estimate your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age.
Tip: A fitness tracker or smartwatch can make it easier to know if you’re in the right zone and help you pace yourself during workouts.
As Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper said:
“Exercise is medicine. Regularity is the key to success.”
Building this habit now can give you the kind of health independence that keeps you active for decades, help protect your mood, and fuel you with steady energy long after the coffee wears off.
The Habit Gap
If you wait until your 40s or 50s to “start getting in shape,” it’s an uphill battle. Not because you can’t get fit, but because you’re trying to layer a new habit over decades of doing something else.
What happens when you do nothing?
Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper warned that a lack of regular exercise starts a slow decline you might not notice right away — but it’s happening. Your heart muscle weakens, your blood vessels lose elasticity, your lungs can’t move oxygen as efficiently, and your metabolism slows. Over time, this creates the internal conditions for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.
As Cooper put it:
“Not exercising is the equivalent of letting your body rust from the inside out.”
Cardio works best when it’s a given — like brushing your teeth. Something you just do, without negotiation. The earlier you start, the less you ever have to think about “getting back into shape.” You’ll already be in it.
Cooper’s research showed that consistent aerobic exercise not only improves your heart and lung function but protects nearly every system in your body. The earlier you start, the more of those benefits you bank — and the longer you keep them.
Why Most People Skip It
Even with all the benefits, a lot of people avoid cardio because:
- It feels boring. Running in place or staring at a wall on a treadmill isn’t motivating.
- It’s hard on the body. High-impact workouts can be tough on knees, hips, and ankles.
- It takes up too much space. Not everyone has room for a big piece of equipment in their home.
The problem isn’t cardio itself — it's what activities you choose to do.
Making Cardio Something You Actually Want to Do
If you want a cardio habit that sticks, it has to be:
- Fun enough to look forward to
- Low-impact so you can do it consistently
- Convenient enough that excuses don’t win
That’s exactly why we built HupSix.
HupSix is a cardio workout that improves the way you move using patented gear, bodyweight exercises, and audio cues to get you moving in sync to music that rocks. You’ll burn calories, build strength, and level up your coordination — all in 30 minutes, at home.
Unlike treadmills, bikes, or rowers, HupSix challenges your agility and reaction time while still giving you the heart-health benefits of traditional cardio. And it requires about the space of a yoga mat when in use and is smaller than a backpack in your closet.
Bonus: Regular cardio can also help with pain management. It boosts circulation, which delivers more oxygen and nutrients to joints and muscles, helps clear out inflammation, and releases natural pain-relieving chemicals like endorphins. Over time, consistent cardio can even raise your pain threshold — meaning you feel less discomfort during daily life. And because HupSix is low-impact, you can get those benefits without adding strain to your knees, hips, or back.
Want to see the research behind why HupSix works? Read the Science of At-Home Cardio to understand how music, movement, and focus combine for results you’ll feel.
Your Move
Don’t wait until your health forces you to care about cardio. Start now, while you have the most time to benefit from it. Plus, HupSix is fun.
HupSix comes with a 30-day full refund and a 12-month prorated return policy — if it’s not one of the most fun, engaging workouts you’ve ever done, send it back. No questions asked.
Want to Learn More Before You Decide?
Cardio FAQs
Q: Do I need cardio?
Yes. Cardio is essential for heart health, endurance, and longevity. Even 20–30 minutes a few times a week can reduce disease risk and boost energy.
Q: Is cardio necessary if I lift weights?
Yes. Strength training builds muscle, but cardio strengthens your heart, lungs, and circulation. Both are important for complete fitness.
Q: How much cardio do you need each week?
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity cardio weekly. That’s just 30 minutes, 3–5 times per week.
Q: What type of cardio is best?
The best cardio is the one you’ll stick with. HupSix is fun, low-impact, and compact—so it’s easier to stay consistent while still getting all the heart-health benefits.
