Need to reassess your fitness journey?
Halfway through the year is the perfect time to pause, reflect and refocus your fitness goals. If your fitness goals or training routines have slipped, you're not alone. The good news? You don't need to start from scratch or overhaul your entire training plan to get back on track.
Why your cardio fitness matters
As part of your mid year reset, it's worth focusing on your cardio fitness, your body's ability to deliver and use oxygen during exercise.
Regular exercise can support more than just your training performance. It also plays an important role in your energy levels, overall wellbeing and long term health. The key is to find a routine that fits your schedule and lifestyle and build consistency over time.
One of the most recognised measures of cardio fitness is VO₂ max, which reflects how efficiently your body uses oxygen when you exercise. By tracking this over time, you can better understand your progress and train more effectively.
If you're a Vitality member, your Vitality Cardio Fitness Level gives you a clear view of where you are right now. Combined with insights from wearable technology, it can help you track your progress, stay motivated and make smarter decisions about your training and recovery.
Small changes can make a big difference
One of the easiest ways to reignite motivation and improve your cardio fitness is to introduce variety into your exercise routine. Changing up your workouts can help keep things interesting, challenge your body in new ways and make it easier to stay active throughout the year.
Consider incorporating a mix of:
Endurance moves
Activities that keep you moving steadily for longer periods, such as walking, hiking, swimming, dancing or cycling.
Easy win: Book a dance or water aerobics class through Vitality Fitness.
Strength building
Strength and functional training can help support everyday movement, improve overall fitness and complement your cardio activities.
Easy win: Try a strength or functional fitness class through Vitality Fitness.
Intensity boosting workouts
Shorter, more vigorous workouts can be a great option when time is limited, and can be very effective to increase your cardio fitness.
Easy win: Book a high intensity interval training (HIIT) or HYROX class through Vitality Fitness.
- Learn more about exercise intensity, heart-rate zones and examples of these kinds of workouts.
Stay motivated throughout your reset
Resetting your routine is one thing. Keeping the momentum going is another.
- Focus on progress, not perfection. Every workout counts.
- Schedule regular bouts of activity into your week. Consistency beats intensity when building long term habits.
- Start small and progress slowly. start with shorter or less intense workouts and gradually build up the duration and intensity to see improvement
- Try something new. A variety of workout types can help keep exercise enjoyable and engaging.
- Track your progress. Monitoring improvements in your fitness, including your Vitality Cardio Fitness Level, can be a great source of motivation and a reminder of how far you've come.
Discover something new with Vitality Fitness
A mid year reset is also the perfect opportunity to step outside your usual routine.
With Vitality Fitness, you can access a wide range of fitness facilities and experiences directly through the Discovery app. Depending on your Vitality Health status, you can get up to 8 free workouts every month and explore new ways to stay active.
Whether you're looking to improve your cardio fitness, build strength, increase flexibility or stay active, you'll find a variety of options including:
- Cardio boxing
- CrossFit
- Dance
- Functional fitness
- HIIT
- HYROX
- Pilates
- Rebound
- Spinning
- Squash
- Strength training
- Swimming
- Yoga
It's never too late to start working on a fitter, healthier version of yourself. Explore Vitality Fitness in the Discovery app and take the next step on your health journey.
Live life with Vitality.