We may earn a commission from links on this page.Cardio is incredibly important for all of us. Its the bedrock of the physical activity guidelines for health, and if you already strength train, adding in cardio will make you healthier in general and better at the stuff in the gym that you care about. (And no, it wont kill your gains.)So where should you begin if youre starting (or re-starting) a cardio habit? The simple answer is that you can do anything that you enjoy, so if your favorite exercise isnt on my list below, but it meets the definition of cardio, you dont need my approvaljust go do it. But if you want some more information about your best options, read on.What counts as cardio?I have another article addressing this question in more detail, but here's the short answer. Cardio exercise is generally understood to be exercise that:Uses most of your body, or at least several large muscle groups (cycling only uses your legs, but it absolutely counts).Is rhythmic and repetitivethink of the footsteps in jogging, or the arm strokes in swimming.Can last for 10 minutes or more. Its fine to do cardio in shorter bursts, but we want to draw a distinction between things like jogging (which people often do for 30 minutes or more) and strength exercises like squats (which might be done for a set of 8 or 12 reps, and then you need to rest before you do more).Is intense enough you feel like youre working. A leisurely stroll isnt cardio, but a brisk walk could be.Cardio machines you might see in a typical gym include the treadmill, elliptical, exercise bike (all kinds), rower, and stair climber. Those all count as cardio. Strength training work doesn't count--it's still good for you, but it's a separate thing.How much cardio should I do?The American Heart Association, the World Health Organization, the CDC, and many other organizations have settled on a guideline that says your baseline should be 150 minutes or more of moderate cardio per week. (They often say exercise but if you read the fine print, they are referring specifically to cardio. Strength training is separate.) Specifically, they say you should do:150 minutes of moderate cardio per week, or75 minutes of vigorous cardio per week, orAny combination of the above (adding up to 150, with each minute of vigorous cardio counting double), orIf youre already meeting that baseline easily, you should aim for 300 minutes of moderate/150 minutes vigorous.What does 150 minutes per week look like? Here are some examples:A 30-minute walk every weekday at lunch, orA 50-minute session on a spin bike three times a week, or22 minutes of brisk walking every morning (even weekends)How hard should a cardio workout feel?If youre out of breath, feel like youre dying, and cant wait until its time to stop, youre going harder than you need to. Moderate cardio is roughly the same effort level as zone 2 cardio. It should feel like work, but not torture. Youll be breathing a little heavier than at rest, but you could still easily speak in full sentences. These workouts are easy to recover from (you dont need a rest day afterward) and youll generally feel better at the end than you did at the beginning.Vigorous cardio includes everything harder than that, covering the spectrum from a lively jog to really intense intervals. You may feel exhausted at the end of the workout. You may not be able to do this kind of workout every day. Vigorous cardio is good for you, but its often best in small doses. Endurance athletes (like runners) often aim to keep the harder stuff to 20% or less of their weekly workout time.While heart rate tracking is popular, I dont recommend using heart rate to tell the difference between your moderate and vigorous workouts, at least if you're a beginner. The heart rate zones that are built into your watch are inconsistent from device to device and they use a formula that is often wrong. Judge the difference from your breathing and your perceived effort. Moderate cardio is about a 3, maybe 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. Does it matter what kind of cardio I do?Honestly: not that much. Sometimes people seek out cardio that uses their full body, or that targets specific body parts, but thats not actually very important when it comes to the health and fitness benefits. A rowing machine uses your arms more than a spin bike, but both can provide a great cardio workout. If you want to build muscle in your arms, youre better off doing some strength exercises for your arms rather than worrying about whether your cardio workouts include your arms.The best cardio workout is whatever youll do, so the most important factors are how available the workout is to you (is there a rower at your gym?) and preference (do you like rowing?).With that huge caveat out of the way, Ill give you guys my favorite cardio workouts, and some tips for working each into your routine.The cheapest cardio workout: running (or run/walk)Lets start with what is, for many, the most accessible cardio workout of them all: stepping out of your front door and putting one foot in front of the other. (Nothing is perfect for everybody, of course, so if outdoor workouts dont fit your life, skip to the next section.)Youll need a pair of shoes that feel reasonably comfortable when you run (they do not have to be expensive running shoes) and many of us will need a sports bra. Then, just add some athletic clothes, and you have the essentials. Youll need the same basic gear for most other exercise, anyway. Nike Men's Downshifter 12 Sneaker, Black/White- Dk Smoke Grey, 9 $70.00 at Amazon $74.34 Save $4.34 Shop Now Shop Now $70.00 at Amazon $74.34 Save $4.34 You do not need a running watch or a heart rate monitor. You dont need to track your mileage or pace at all, although you may find it useful to be vaguely aware of how long your workouts are taking and to track how often you do them. That can be a note in your phone (30 minutes jog Monday) rather than buying into an app or device ecosystem.Heres a sample workout, if you dont know where to get started:Walk for the first 5 minutes, as a warmup. Start slow, and by the end, try to be at a brisk pace.Speed up a bit; try a jog or a fast walk.If you start to feel tired, slow down just a little bit. Dont return to a slow walk unless you truly have to.Speed up again when you feel ready, and repeat.Walk for the last 5 minutes as a cooldown.Over time, work toward keeping up a steady pace. A slow, steady jog is better (for most of your training) than sprint-and-walk intervals. That said, interval training is a fun thing to sprinkle in. If youre worried that running is boring, try these tips to keep it fun.Easiest on your body: indoor cyclingIf I had to crown a best all-around cardio workout, it would probably be spinning. Theres a smoother transition between speeds, rather than the distinct categories of walking and running, so its easier to find the right intensity for a given workout. Theres not much bouncing or impact, so you may not need a sports bra and you may find it easier on your knees and shins at the start. And you can do it with a water bottle and a fan within reach, which makes logistics a bit easierno need to carry everything with you.(Outdoor cycling is great, by the way. But that requires a helmet, a bit of mechanical know-how, and street smarts to safely mesh with, or avoid, traffic. Im sticking with indoor cycling for my recommendation here, but if you love taking your bike to the streets, by all means enjoy!) YOSUDA Indoor Cycling Bike Brake Pad/Magnetic Stationary Bike - Cycle Bike with Ipad Mount & Comfortable Seat Cushion $249.99 Get Deal Get Deal $249.99 There are also tons of options for indoor cycling workouts. You can aim for a straight steady-state workout, perhaps watching a favorite show while you do it on the gyms TV or even your phone. Or you can follow along with a video or audio workout that guides you through intervals while distracting you with music and chatter. Use an app like Peloton or Aaptiv, or find videos on YouTube. Heres one to start you off: Best for no equipment at home: put on some music and danceI really debated this one. Theres a lot to be said for jumping rope (even though technically that is equipment) but the pros and cons are similar to jogging. Theres a lot of bouncing and impact, and it can be pretty exhausting at first, until you learn how to pace yourself.Then we have the staples of bodyweight HIIT videos, like air squats and jumping jacks. These are fine! But they lend themselves better to intervals, and when were doing cardio its good to have options that let us move continuously. That said, Im going to put in a quick plug for the most underrated no-equipment cardio move out there: the old school four-count burpee. (I describe it in more detail here.) No jump and no pushup. Youre welcome.But ultimately, if you want to get a good cardio workout in your home without having to buy equipment or clear a big space, just put on some music and dance. And dont tell me you cant dance, because you dont need to impress an audience here. Put on something that makes you happy, and shift your weight from one foot to the other. Swing your arms a little. Look! Youre dancing! It may not look stylish, but youre getting a workout and youre probably enjoying it a lot more than burpees or squat jumps.Obviously, there are so many directions you can go from here. You can simply bop along to whatever is on the radio or shuffle your Spotify. You can work on building your skill as a dancer, learning new moves and stringing them togetherdont these goofballs look like theyre having fun dancing the Charleston? You can look up dance cardio videos where an instructor leads you through a workout. Or you can just pick any style you like and have fun with it.

The long wait is finally over. In a YouTube video with little fanfare, Nintendo officially introduced the long-awaited Switch 2. The first true next-gen follow-up to the original Switch includes backwards-compatibility for owners of existing Switch hardware and we'll learn more about the console in a Nintendo Direct presentation on April 2, 2025. There's still no firm release date, though.Nintendo is also planning to host first-look experience events in cities around the globe starting in April, the first of which take place in New York City and Paris from April 4 to April 6. More cities around North American, Europe, Oceania and Asia will follow.This trailer and accompanying press release are truly light on details. We see how the Switch 2 evolves from the original, with a larger screen and accompanying Joy-Con controllers that do appear to be attachable via magnets and a tiny port on the side of the controller. That's it, though no price, specs or any details on what games are coming to the Switch 2.That said, we did see a few shots of a Mario Kart game running on the Switch 2 so all the rumors surrounding a Mario Kart 9 launching alongside the Switch 2 got another shot in the arm today.The announcement of the Switch 2 has been a long time coming. Today's news caps off months of speculation about when the company would unveil new hardware. The community interest in a Switch 2 was vocal enough that president Shuntaro Furukawa posted on X ahead of the June 2024 Nintendo Direct not to expect any new console news, although he did confirm that the Switch's successor would be introduced by March 2025.Nintendo has given players some minor upgrades over the years since the Switch first arrived on the scene in 2017. The Switch Lite offered a more compact handheld ideal for gaming on the go, and the Switch OLED delivered a premium screen. But even within the limitations of a portable gaming device, the Switch has lagged far behind other consoles when it comes to power and performance. Of course, trying to compete with Sony and Microsoft's consoles on pure power hasn't been Nintendo's concern for decades at this point. Once we get our hands on the Switch 2, we'll know whether it delivers enough oomph to feel worth the wait.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-arrives-on-april-2-2025-131325195.html?src=rss

Yet again, the VPN provider consolidates its commitment to future-proofing user data against the threats posed by quantum computing. Here's all you need to know.

U.K. Robinhood rival Freetrade has been acquired by IG Group for 160 million a 29% discount to its last valuation.

The stop motion animation and VFX tech used on Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. An excerpt from issue #25 of befores & afters print magazine.In A Grand Day Out, released in 1989, director Nick Park introduced us to Wallace and Gromit. The beloved human and dog characters were animated in clay. Decades later, and on the Aardman film Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (which Park directed with Merlin Crossingham), the characters are still brought to life in clay.However, several other aspects of the film now relied on some of the latest 3D printing, camera and lighting, and visual effects technologies. Here, Aardman supervising animator and stop motion lead Will Becher shares with befores & afters the range of old and new tech used to make the film.b&a: The way you made this film seems to incorporate so many old-school pieces of animation technology, and the latest tech, too.Will Becher: Yeah, I mean, it is a theme in the film as wellthe old-school and new-school tech. What weve found on every project is theres always another version. So were always getting the newest cameras and were always updating the software that we use. But in terms of model making and the art department, 3D printings become a really big part of it because its fantastic for sort of micro-engineering and testing things.In the film, we have the Norbot gnome character. We still start with a clay sculpt and then we can scan that sculpt in and we can build the internal mechanism design to the millimeter on computer using a 3D model. Engineering elements that sit together in a very small space takes a long time and lots of filing and fiddling. With Norbot, we had a 3D printed head, and we 3D printed the mechanics inside the head. So the mouth and the way it moves, its all 3D printed, it slots together.In terms of animation, the process is very similar to how it was when Nick Park started. Were still using the process of physically animating and moving characters frame by frame. The advancements really come with the world around them. So, making the film feel bigger using set extensions or digital matte paintings for the skies.b&a: Nortbot was 3D printed, in part, but did you consider animating him with replacement animation?Will Becher: No, the reason we used 3D printing was to make sure we could make him as something solid. We could have used it for replacement animation. In fact, we thought about it, When he walks, when he marches, would it be better to print? But actually, funnily enough, because everything is so organic in the world, the floor of the sets, its not perfectly flat. So as soon as you have anything like that, you actually need articulation. So Norbot is printed in his head, but the rest of him, although some of the internal mechanisms are printed, he has a skeleton inside and he has silicon dressing on top. And all the animators then, they manipulate him by hand, they move him around.Hes just a good example of a very small version of a very well articulated puppet. So he could do a lot more than you see in the film. Hes got the most complicated sort of skeleton, really, because he has to be quite versatile. And the one puppet we make has to work for every shot in the film.b&a: Theres an army of Norbots that appear. How did you approach doing so many?Will Becher: We have PPMs for every sequence, and we spent a bit of time talking about, Okay, how are we going to do it? Were going to shoot separate plates for each one, but weve got to get them to look the same. And as soon as we said we want them to be exactly the same, the way they move, because theyre an army Thats the other thing, stop motion is organic. You cant repeat it because you are physically moving things in space, and the lens and the lighting, everything is organic.So it was our visual effects supervisor Howard Jones, he said, Okay, if you wanted to repeat, then maybe what we could do is actually we could shoot the Norbots, just one row, and then we can have the camera move back into different positions to effectively give us the perspective so that we could then paste that behind.So we tried this out. It was like, Can we do that? Can we do an individual frame and then shoot several plates with the camera in different places? We couldnt because actually the characters just look wrong because the lighting doesnt change. So then we had to design this rig that basically would move them, slide them back, take a frame, slide them back, really complex, and then stitch them together in post.But what I love is that we could have tried to build CG models, but actually within our scope, within the budget, we didnt have any CG characters. We couldnt, and it wouldve been very expensive to actually make a CG Norbot that would hold up on screen that close. So everything we shot with the Norbots, we shot for real with the actual puppets.b&a: Feathers McGraw, the penguin, returns in this film. He seems like a very simple puppet build, but is that the case?Will Becher: Well, the actual shape of the face looks very simple. Feathers is literally like a bowling pin on legs. Thats how we have described him in the early days. And the original puppet, actually, it was the same size, same height, he looked the same. He probably just didnt look quite as advanced inside him. Thats the bit now we would 3D print. For the surface and the wings, its all just clay. And even wire, we still use wire because actually its really hard to get miniature articulated joints inside.Whats also new is the use of silicone. We used to use a lot more foam latex but foam over time just dries out, cracks. For Wallace and for Gromit, the bodies of them are actually silicone. Theyre full of fingerprints, but its a very flexible type of silicone, and it just saves us time focusing on things like the performance rather than focusing on cleaning up a joint. And thats the benefit of the newer technology.b&a: When youre building sets, what kinds of decisions do you make about how much can be built and what can be DMP? Theres a canal sequence in the film, for example, which seems like a massive build.Will Becher: Thats a really key example of the fusion of tech because the art director, Matt Perry, hes excellent. Hes really resourceful at building stuff on set, in person for real. But also he really wants it to feel big and advanced. So, what wed do is figure out how build it in sections. Hell build a section and say, Okay, Nick and Merlin, I think we need to build this much of it, and the rest of it well scan and well create as DMP.That means, theres a section of the canal for real, the actual boats, which are also real physical things they can fit in. And then its extended out. To do the whole thing in-camera, we would have needed a massive space and a huge amount of time as well to paint all those bricks. I think we ended up with two sections, two actual archways, and from that, we can shoot loads of plates and they can scan it.b&a: Have other technologies for shooting changed or come into play much in recent years, say with motion control or camera rigs?Will Becher: Well, theres a shot in the film where the camera goes up the staircase. Its funny the things you dont necessarily anticipate that are going to be a pain. None of our camerasour digi stills camerascould possibly get close enough because theyre too big. Theyre all high-end digital stills cameras. And so we had to test and mount lots of different smaller digital cameras on the end of a crane and try and get as close to the set as possible because we really wanted to create that camera move for real, traveling up the staircase.So Id definitely say the cameras have changed, but also the lights have become smaller and smaller. And with the lighting, were quite often putting tiny, practical lights in there for a candle flame or something. Theyre really advanced so we can program them to flicker and theyre so small we can hide them behind props. Theyre lower temperature as well. So for the animators, it used to be quite hot work. If you were in a unit with a couple of massive 5K or 10K lights, compared to today with LEDs, well, its a huge change.issue #25 animation conversationsb&a: I guess some of the other new technology involves using visual effects and CG for things like water. But still, I imagine to keep that Aardman and animated look, how do you ensure in your role that thats maintained?Will Becher: Theres a scene at the beginning where Gromit gets milk poured all over him. We tried all sorts of things, but when you get into particle effects, it gets really difficult. And so things like mist, fog, smoke, fire, milkit turns out we can never stop it looking the scale it is. So we tried milk and it just looks too thick. We tried lots of different materials. So in the end, the milk is a bit of a hybrid. We have it pouring out of the jug. We might use actual modeling clay. But then as soon as it hits Gromit, in this case, it turns into a CG effect.For water, we did a couple of things. Firstly we found this amazing stuff, this clear resin that you can sculpt. You sculpt this resin and you basically cure it with UV light, it goes hard. So its totally see through. So this is a new thing. Weve only been using it for a few years. Its fantastic. But you cant ever create a lake or an ocean that interacts with the characters. So theres a whole scene in this film where Wallace is in the water. And for that, we actually applied what looked like water to the puppet so that he was wet above water, but all the actual surface of the water is CG.Our directors, Nick and Merlin, neither of them are scared of using CG. They use it all the time, but theyll use it where it makes the film better, not for the sake of it. Also, we wont do stuff in camera for the sake of it. If it doesnt look good, well go to the best tools for the job.Read the full issue of the magazine.The post A mix of old and new appeared first on befores & afters.

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The Transportation Department is stepping up enforcement of persistent flight delays with a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines and a fine against Frontier Airlines.The agency said the U.S. District Court lawsuit it filed in California on Wednesday alleges that Southwest illegally operated chronically delayed flights and disrupted passengers travel plans. It says its seeking maximum civil penalties.Airlines have a legal obligation to ensure that their flight schedules provide travelers with realistic departure and arrival times, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. Todays action sends a message to all airlines that the department is prepared to go to court in order to enforce passenger protections.The Transportation Department said its investigation found that Dallas-based Southwest operated two chronically delayed flights one between Chicago Midway International Airport and Oakland, California, and another between Baltimore, Maryland and Cleveland, Ohio.Both flights were chronically delayed for five straight months and together resulted in 180 flight disruptions for passengers between April and August 2022, the agency said.In a statement, Southwest said it was disappointed that the agency focused on flights from more than two years ago and pointed instead to its long-term record.Since DOT issued its Chronically Delayed Flight (CDF) policy in 2009, Southwest has operated more than 20 million flights with no other CDF violations. Any claim that these two flights represent an unrealistic schedule is simply not credible when compared with our performance over the past 15 years, the company said. In 2024, Southwest led the industry by completing more than 99% of its flights without cancellation.The department fined Frontier Airlines $650,000 in civil penalties, with $325,000 to be paid to the U.S. Treasury and the remaining $325,000 to be suspended if the carrier does not operate any chronically delayed flights in the next three years. Frontier, based in Denver, declined to comment.The announcement comes less than two weeks after the Transportation Department fined JetBlue $2 million for chronic delays, the first time it imposed a penalty for lateness on specific routes. The agency cited JetBlues chronic delays on unrealistic scheduling. JetBlue then said the government, which operates the air traffic control system, shares the blame for late flights.Aviation-data provider Cirium said in a report released this month that Southwest ranked fifth among the 10 North American airlines it evaluated for their on-time performance, with 77.8% of arrivals and a little under 77% of departures last year taking place in a timely way. By comparison, top-ranked Delta Air Lines scored 83.5% for arrivals and 83.7% for departures.Last year, federal regulators increased their scrutiny of Southwest Airlines after a series of incidents, including flying at very low altitudes while still miles away from an airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said in July it wanted to ensure the carrier was complying with federal safety regulations. The FAA declined to provide details, but noted that it continually adjusts oversight of airlines based on risk.

Dezeen Showroom: Portuguese brand Burel Factory has harnessed the natural characteristics of wool to create a fabric that reinterprets traditional craft for modern commercial spaces.Burel Factory makes a special wool fabric known as burel fabric, which is a heritage product of Portugal's Serra da Estrela mountains, where the company still operates using ancestral machinery.Burel Factory's wool fabric can be used as covering for walls and ceilingsThe fabric is handmade from 100 per cent wool that is trodden, thumped and boiled to improve its density and create a product with even more versatility and resistance to wear and tear than other wool fabrics, with Burel Factory claiming that it keeps its colour and shape even in high-use environments.The fabric can be used for applications ranging from wall coverings to panels, dividers and partitions, and brings a tactile look to interiors alongside acoustic and thermal insulation.The Stitches collection offers a range of 3D patternsWool reduces sound reverberation, creating a more pleasant acoustic environment in spaces such as offices and hotels, while also insulating from both heat and cold and helping to maintain an optimal indoor temperature.Burel Factory's wool fabric is available in more than 80 colours and 20 different 3D designs, which the company refers to as its Burel Stitches collection and which range from geometric compositions to dynamic bunched creations.Product details:Product: Wool fabricBrand: Burel FactoryContact: burel.projectos@burelfactory.comDezeen ShowroomDezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.The post Wool fabric by Burel Factory appeared first on Dezeen.