HOW TO GET FIT WITH CARDIO EXERCISES

HOW TO GET FIT WITH CARDIO EXERCISES

Cardio training otherwise known as aerobic exercise should be a part of any fitness program. Aerobic exercise which raises your heartbeat helps you tone your muscles, lose fat, helps lower high blood pressure, and works to keep you healthy. Regular cardio workouts can help prevent diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis and hypertension. It can even prolong your life. In medical studies, those individuals who exercise moderately every week doing such activities as tennis, jogging, brisk walking, or swimming were able to reduce their risk of coronary artery disease by 41% and reduced their risk of a premature death by approximately 28%.The same studies found that if you over exercised you actually increased tissue damage and the death rate. Moderate exercise is the key word here.

Cardio training good for all ages

Individuals of all ages can benefit from cardiovascular training. Anyone beginning a new fitness program should get a checkup from their physician first before starting fitness exercises. Choosing your cardio training should be based on your fitness level and age. Non impact aerobic exercise such as swimming may be more effective and safe for individuals who have problems with their feet or knees or joints. Walking, hiking, and dancing are all considered to be aerobic exercises and can be safely enjoyed by most individuals. Whatever cardiovascular exercise you choose, you should do it continuously for at least 15 minutes to get a health benefit. Three to five times per week is considered to be sufficient to obtain the benefits of the exercises.

Intensity

With aerobic exercise you are trying to get the heart moving but you don't want to over stress the heart particularly if you are older. As you continue to train your endurance will increase and you will be able to increase your level of exercise. If you have been leading a fairly sedentary life it is recommended that you start slow with your fitness program and progress slowly but steadily. The recommended intensity level is progress at 5-10% each month.

The workout itself

All cardio training workouts should include a warm-up, an aerobic workout and a cool down. The warm-up should consist of primarily stretching and limbering up exercises. This warms up the muscles and loosens the joints so that there is less risk of injury. Whichever aerobic activity you choose you should do it for at least 15 minutes. Forty minutes is a good aerobic workout. You should plan on spending at at least five minutes in cool down exercises. The cool down helps the heart adjust to the change in blood flow. Just walking slowly is a great way to cool down after a cardio workout.

Adding interval training to your fitness program

If you are in good condition, adding interval training to your cardio workout helps break up the routine and helps burn more calories. In interval training, you intersperse high cardio exercises such as jogging or spinning with less intense exercise such as walking.

Being careful

Intense exercise can result in injuries or other medical problems if you don't take precautions. It is important to stay hydrated while you exercise particularly in hot weather and not to train in the hottest part of the day. Fitness experts also recommend that you not engage in cardiovascular exercise immediately after eating a full meal. Always take the time to warm up your muscles before starting a cardio workout.