SUMMARY Lifting belts are typically associated with strength training, but some athletes wonder if they should wear them during cardio workouts. While lifting belts provide core support and help with heavy lifts, using one during cardio may not always be necessary. This guide will discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of wearing a lifting belt during cardio and help you decide whether it’s the right choice for you based on your training goals and personal needs. FEATURES Core Support: Provides additional stability to the core during intense movements. Posture: Can assist with maintaining proper posture during high-impact cardio. Breathing Restriction: May limit your ability to take full, deep breaths during cardio exercises. Comfort: Potential for discomfort or restriction during dynamic cardio activities. Injury Prevention: Reduces strain on the lower back during certain cardio exercises. Muscle Engagement: Limits full muscle engagement by stabilizing the core too much. Weight Loss Impact: May reduce effectiveness of certain cardio-based workouts by limiting core activation. Fitness Goals: Can be useful for specific goals like injury prevention, but not necessary for general cardio. DESCRIPTION While lifting belts are primarily designed to provide core support during heavy lifting by stabilizing the spine and helping with intra-abdominal pressure, their application in cardio workouts is not as straightforward. For the majority of traditional cardio activities, such as running, cycling, or swimming, wearing a lifting belt is usually not necessary and might even be counterproductive. One of the main benefits of using a lifting belt during cardio is its ability to help with posture, especially in exercises like stair climbing, hiking, or intense interval training. The belt can remind you to engage your core and maintain proper alignment during certain dynamic movements. However, in activities like running or cycling, wearing a belt may provide unnecessary restriction, potentially leading to discomfort or even breathing difficulties. The tightness of a lifting belt could limit your ability to take deep, controlled breaths, which is essential for aerobic conditioning and cardiovascular performance. Another consideration is that lifting belts can sometimes interfere with full muscle engagement. During cardio, your body relies on full core activation for stability and efficiency. The support provided by a lifting belt can limit this natural muscle engagement, especially in exercises that require dynamic, full-range movement. This could potentially reduce the effectiveness of the cardio workout by preventing optimal activation of the core muscles. From an injury prevention standpoint, wearing a belt during certain high-impact or high-intensity cardio movements may help protect your lower back, especially if you have an existing injury or are prone to strain. However, it’s crucial to weigh the benefit of injury prevention with the potential downside of restricted movement and limited core activation. In general, unless you're dealing with an existing back issue or are performing a specific workout that requires added support (like weighted sled pushes or cardio circuits involving heavy loads), there’s little benefit to wearing a lifting belt during traditional cardio sessions. The core engagement needed for efficient cardio is different from that required for heavy lifting, and in most cases, a belt won’t add much value. Ultimately, whether or not you wear a lifting belt during cardio should depend on your fitness goals and the type of cardio workout you’re doing. If your primary goal is to enhance cardiovascular fitness or work on weight loss, for most activities, you’ll want to avoid a belt and focus on maximizing breathing and core activation. However, if you're engaging in more specific training, such as injury rehabilitation or a cardio workout that involves heavy resistance, the support from a lifting belt could provide an added benefit.
