At this point everyone has heard that introducing some cardio exercises to your fitness routine has plenty of benefits.

However, we have also heard that it is not the only way to kick start a weight-loss programme. In fact, many in the fitness industry are encouraging us to step away from the treadmill. 

Including cardio in your routine increases heart health and helps to burn fat, but it might not be setting our metabolisms alight as we had hoped.

Too much cardio can raise your stress levels, and when your cortisol hormone levels are high, you won’t be able to lose the weight you want to. 

Cadence Dubus, a NYC based personal trainer to celebs like the cast Girls explains:

"If you look at the New York Marathon, the majority of the people jogging by are chubby, and most of them have probably been logging 12, 15, or 20 miles a week."

This can be attribute to how the calories you burn increase as you move from a resting level of metabolism to an exercising rate of metabolism. So, going from a steady walk to a run for example.  

This type of exercise can boost your metabolism for hours even after you have stopped exercising.

So, if you’re spending hours and hours a week on the treadmill sweating it out at a steady jog, then your metabolism will also stay at a steady rate.

Incorporating sprint intervals into your cardio routine can help avoid this. 

Strength training is also recommended. Cadence adds that if you are exercising with body fat in mind, to remember that "building muscle is where you burn calories," says Dubus.

So if you’re looking for a more ‘toned’ physique, your treadmill addiction is probably not helping.