3 Ways to Overcome Setbacks in Cardiovascular Workouts

A few years ago, I was building a solid cardio routine and feeling great—until I pushed a little too hard, too fast, and ended up with a knee injury that completely threw off my momentum. I had to take several weeks off from running, which was frustrating and discouraging. I felt like all the progress I had made had disappeared overnight.

During that time, I learned the importance of listening to my body and not rushing the process. Instead of quitting altogether, I shifted to low-impact activities like swimming and cycling to stay active while letting my knee heal. It wasn't the path I had planned, but it kept me moving and helped me rebuild both my strength and confidence.

The biggest takeaway? Progress isn't always linear, and setbacks don't mean failure. My advice: have a backup plan and be flexible with your routine. Adapting instead of giving up can keep you on track and sometimes leads you to new forms of movement you never expected to enjoy.

After fifteen years of utilizing technology to launch ventures from scratch, I've learned that consistency is key, especially with actual cardio.

What has been my biggest setback? A drastic decrease in my endurance after relocating to Mexico City. In Argentina and Uruguay, I had trained comfortably with 5ks under 25 minutes... but then BAM! The altitude of CDMX (2,240 meters above sea level) made it nearly impossible to work in a brisk walk up a hill. My HR spiked, and I felt dizzy after very short intervals. It was as if years of training had regressed.

Rather than force performance, I went back to the basics: breathwork, heart rate zone training, and LISS (low-intensity steady state) cardio training for slow adaptation. I used the Karvonen formula to set my training zones based on my new resting heart rate and trained for my new zones at levels of intensity we consider 'below' for weeks. It was absolutely humbling, but it was the right thing to do.

That shift didn't just give me my physical body back - it also gave me my business body back too. Managing RentMexicoCity.com while also optimizing our logistics for high-end rentals and helicopter tours (which I love doing), requires stamina; merely a different kind of stamina and effort. I train now the way I run the business: purposeful effort, adjusted to the terrain, but competent and data-driven.

Recently, I had to cut back my workouts from 7 days a week to 5. I used to believe that more was always better — that as long as I rotated muscle groups, I'd be fine. But I've come to realize that this isn't true. The body needs time to rest and recover, even if you're not working the same muscles every day. After visiting an acupuncturist, I was told I had knots all over my body, which may be causing the numbness in my hands. That experience helped me understand the importance of rest, not just to avoid injury, but also to give my body the time it needs to heal and grow. Since cutting back, I see better gains and no longer have hand numbness.