Orlean Flow: Cardio For A Heart In The Right Place
When most people hear the word cardio, their mind goes straight to punishment. Sprint until you puke. Run until your knees hate you. Spin your wheels for an hour hoping the fat melts off.
But that’s not cardio — that’s chaos.
To me, cardio is simple. It’s about raising your body temperature, increasing your heart rate, and moving your body in a way that builds endurance and flow. It doesn’t have to be extreme. It just has to be consistent. Whether I’m on a bike, running, jumping rope, hiking, or bouncing around on a trampoline, the goal is the same: move with purpose and let your body heat up.
That’s it.
Too many people treat cardio like a punishment for eating or a shortcut to weight loss. They attack it with intensity, hoping for faster results, then burn out or get injured. Others avoid it entirely, usually because it’s not “fun,” or they’ve convinced themselves they can lift weights and call it a day.
Let’s be honest — we’re a species that sits too much and stares at screens all day. You need movement. You need circulation. You need sweat. Not because a coach told you to, but because your body told you to. Cardio isn’t just for fat loss. It’s for blood flow, mental clarity, digestion, joint health, endurance, and yes, that sweet runner’s high that makes the whole day feel better.
I don’t waste time with terms like HIIT, LISS, Zone 2, or anything like that. That’s industry lingo used to sell you gear, apps, and training programs you don’t need. You don’t need a heart rate monitor to know you’re working. You don’t need a chart to know you’re sweating. Unless you're an elite athlete and the use of tools for measurement is ideal for specific, desired outcomes, it's all noise.
You just need to move — in a way that’s sustainable, smart, and somewhat enjoyable. If you’re pounding pavement with no warm-up, that’s not smart. If you’re skipping cardio entirely, that’s not sustainable.
Your joints matter. Your recovery matters. And the way you move today determines how you’ll move ten years from now.
We always talk about something becoming “second nature.” But there’s a step before that — it’s what I call first nature. That moment when you’re consciously choosing to make something a habit. You’re not quite flowing yet, but you’re showing up. That’s where the magic is. Cardio works best when you stop overthinking it and just do the thing.
Pick an activity. Put it on your calendar. That’s your new Thursday night show, or your Saturday morning date with movement. As you stay consistent, your body adapts. You’ll feel stronger. Lighter. Clearer. Happier. It won’t feel like work. It’ll feel like you.
Cardio without the chaos is just about finding your groove. Jump rope. Dance. Swim. Hike. Hula hoop. Ride a stationary bike indoors or go mountain bike through the trees. Get a mini desk bike and pedal while you’re on Zoom. There’s no one way. The right way is the one you do.
Just don’t wait for motivation. Build rhythm. Build routine. Let it be part of who you are, not something you drag yourself through.
You don’t need to burn yourself out. You just need to show up — and let cardio do what it was always meant to do:
Keep you alive, sharp, moving and grooving.
