Cardiovascular exercise is important as it gets the body moving and the heart pumping blood around it for a healthier and more active body. Often it is associated with weight loss, which it can certainly help with but it is also a vital component of a simply being healthy and keeping fit.
Cardio is also known as aerobic exercise and it is basically a form of exercise that raises the heart rate and often involves large muscles like legs to jog, run or swim, for example, and make the heart and lungs stronger. Most gyms will advise that you work towards a target heart rate and the aim is to build up your strength and stamina in a safe, controlled environment to help lower your blood pressure and burn off overall body fat.
Make sure you don’t overdo it and seek the advice of a qualified instructor and medical expert such as a doctor to measure your heart rate, or the number of times your heart beats per minute. The target zone is the range where you are advised to work out within for the best and safest workout. It will be between your resting heart rate and maximum heart rate.
The amount of cardio exercise you are advised to carry out tends to vary all the time with changing fitness advice, but a general guide to use is usually about 20 minutes a day, three times a week. This can increase depending on whether you are trying to lose weight, but having a regulated fitness regime advised by a professional can give you realistic and healthy targets for your weight loss goals.
The main benefit of cardio exercise, however, is that it can make you feel better as well as look better. It helps to get your body moving which is good as most people these days work in roles where they are sat at a desk all day or in the same position without much movement. This can lead to aching, tense muscles, but with the help of cardio it can make muscles feel more flexible and prevent tightness and stiffness as part of your job. Our bodies were made to move about after all!
Cardio exercise is great for improving your long-term health and you can easily spice it up by switching from different types and mixing it up for a bit of variety so you don’t get bored. Looking after your heart and lungs is very important though and if you incorporate a bit of cardio into your fitness regime every week, it will help you to stay fit and healthier for life as you’re likely to start enjoying it and start seeing the benefits to your energy levels and overall improvement to your life.
