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Cardio workout
Cardio workout is effectively aerobic exercise, which is any sustained, rhythmic
exercise that uses large muscle groups in the body and increases the body’s
heart rate from 50-90% of its maximum.
A cardio workout causes the heart and lungs to work harder than when they are
at rest, therefore increasing the amount of oxygen in the body.
Cardio workout exercises stimulate the growth of blood capillaries in your
muscles, which help the body deliver oxygen more efficiently to the muscles
and remove waste products, such as lactic acid.
Gradually increasing the working demand of your cardio-respiratory system results
in a stronger heart and lungs, resulting in improved health.
Activities that are good cardio workout include: walking, jogging, running,
swimming, rowing, stair climbing, bicycling, cross-country skiing, step and
dance exercise classes, roller skating, stationary bike, racquetball and squash.
Cardio workouts can benefit people in the following three main ways:
- Improve their overall fitness: cardio workouts that ‘stretch the body’ can
improve the overall function of the body and makes a person fell healthier
and happier.
- Controlled weight loss: Aerobic exercise, which a cardio workout is, can
help people to burn fat and loose weight
- Building muscle strength: Cardio burns fat and replaces it with lean muscle.
This helps build overall body muscle strength.
The low to moderate intensity of aerobic exercise that takes place over a sustained
(long) period of time is ideal for fat calorie burning, as opposed to high intensity,
short duration an-aerobic exercise, which burns glycogen calories.
In order to maximize the benefits from a cardio workout, it is important
to keep track of your heart rate and make sure that it is not working too hard
or not hard enough. Keeping your heart rate inside of 60%-70% of its maximum
will help you to gain the benefits of a cardio workout and help you become fitter
quicker. Having a heart rate monitor (usually a watch you wear) can help you
keep track of your heart rate.
A person’s maximum heart rate can be simply calculated by subtracting your
age from 220. This value is your own maximum heart rate. To work out the values
for 60% and 70% you just perform the following easy calculation, to find out
what range your heart beat should be in when working out:
Maximum heart rate (MHR) = 220-25 = 195
60% of MHR = 0.6 *195 = 117
70% of MHR = 0.7 *195 = 137
Heart range during a cardio workout should therefore be between 117 and
137 beats per minute, in order to maximize the results of the cardio workout.
How long you perform aerobic exercise in a cardio workout will depend on a
multiple of things. 10 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise is acceptable
range of time, however if the goal is body fat loss at least 30 minutes with
40 to 60 minutes preferred.
Another good idea in cardio workouts is to cross train, alternating
among several aerobic exercises. This strategy gives a more balanced
conditioning stimulus and may enhance enjoyment. Specifically, it is important
to alternate forms of high impact exercises (running, dance exercise, tennis)
with low/moderate impact aerobic exercises (walking, swimming, rowing).
Two workouts a week will allow you to maintain your fitness levels, but 3 to
5 sessions a week would be better. If fat loss is the goal, then 6 to 7 low
impact workouts a week would be the best.
The more often you perform cardio workouts the more important it is to gradually
increase your duration, intensity and frequency.
The benefits of cardio workouts for the heart are well known. Aerobic exercise
from cardio workouts stimulates the heart making it grow stronger and more efficient.
The benefits of aerobic exercise include:
- A more efficient heart
- Weight loss
- Improved mental health
- Improved immune system
- Increased stamina
- Increased life span
- Improved muscle health
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