11/22/2025
40 minutes of cardio… and I didn’t die. 😂
I thought I hated cardio. Truly. Stick me on a treadmill or stair master for 40 minutes and I’m out. Not only did it feel awful — it made me not want to do it at all.
But today was completely different.
I’m older now. The cardio I hammered through as a young gal is not the cardio I can do today and still feel good. My knees, my joints, and my recovery matter. I’m not interested in beating myself up — I’m interested in aging well.
So Coach Catie and I talked about how to build cardio that actually supports where I’m at right now. She suggested the Myzone heart rate monitor, showed me how to use it, and helped me set up a session that worked with my body — not against it.
Instead of one boring machine, I rotated the skier, air bike, ball slams, and rower. I’d bring my heart rate up to around 85%, let it come down to 65%, then switch. Manageable. Joint-friendly. Honestly? Kind of fun.
The first 20 minutes were steady, chatty, and totally doable.
Then I added a little intensity: 3 single-arm snatches each side, EMOM style (every minute on the minute) for 15 minutes. Your rest is whatever time you have left. Still joint-friendly, still doable, and it felt like playing rather than punishing.
And that’s really the message: cardio doesn’t have to suck — especially as we age.
If it does, you might be stuck in all-or-nothing thinking or relying on “motivation.”
Use your tools.
Honor your joints.
Work with a coach who understands your body (thank you, Catie and Michele!).
Grab a buddy.
Try a heart-rate monitor and make it a little game.
Just get moving — in ways that protect your body and keep you coming back. 💙💪