BY BRENDAN CRONIN // MARCH 20, 2012 //

My first blog gave you a small taste of how to stay fit through diet. Now, I’m going to show you how to become a lean machine with helpful tips and tricks that I have used in the past to improve my own cardio.

A trainer once told me about an interesting technique to improve stamina, which might sound unorthodox, but is actually quite effective. During your run, try breathing through your mouth and out your nose.

Cardiovascular exercise is necessary to maintain a healthy heart.

I know this may sound crazy and the opposite of what you normally do, but go ahead and give it a shot. The reason for doing this is simple: It simulates what you do when you’re truly fatigued. Many of us have experienced the bad feeling of gasping for air after a strenuous run or other exercise. By breathing through your mouth and out your nose you are building up your lung capacity and are essentially adding time and distance to your run.

After about two weeks of trying this technique, I am certain you will be running longer, faster, and drop a whole lot of weight in the process.

This may seem like a platitude, but to really improve your cardio invest in a jump rope. It may take you awhile to get the hang of it, but once you are comfortable with the rope, the fitness rewards will truly amaze. The greatest benefit that you get from the rope is an increase in ankle strength. Strong ankles are key to running long distances and make pounding the pavement that much easier.

In addition to ankle strength, the rope is considered a full-body exercise that works out many of the muscle groups.