If a desk job and evenings on the sofa are leaving you short of the expert-recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week, setting yourself a fitness challenge could help shift your routine. It did for Canadian YouTuber and former athlete Makari Espe. After deciding it was time for a change, she committed to doing some form of cardio every day for 30 days, to see whether moving more could improve her mood, stamina, and boost her VO2 max (the max amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise, and a key marker of aerobic fitness).
Alongside weights and mobility, she tried everything from running and hiking to water aerobics, spin, dance, and tennis, using the month-long experiment as an opportunity to find the forms of fitness she actually enjoys. Thirty days later, she noticed some surprising changes to both her body and mind—all of which were positive, and all of which led to her cementing a sustainable habit she will willingly continue. Here’s what happened.
A caveat: While cardio is brilliant for your heart, stamina and mental wellbeing, it's not the gold standard of exercise in isolation. To reap the full health benefits of movement, experts recommend pairing aerobic exercise with regular strength training and mobility work, like Espe did. Think of cardio as one piece of the fitness puzzle rather than the whole picture.
1. She felt happier and more energized
It didn't take long for Espe to notice a shift in how she felt. Just a few days into the challenge, she said she was feeling “energized, fast, and happy,” adding, “Wow, I feel great.” Even on days when she needed to dial things back, she noticed the difference movement was making, saying a rest day was “so needed” and left her legs feeling “so much better.” She also found herself rediscovering the joy of trying new things, admitting: “I'm having a lot of fun. I haven't tried new things like this in a really long time.”
2. Her aerobic fitness and VO2 max improved
