Physicians advise their patients of the importance of maintaining physical fitness throughout life, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. You need to become physically active as a child and remain active throughout the years as you age to maintain your health as best as you can. Maintaining a physically fit lifestyle protects your heart and lungs from heart disease and lung disease in your older years.
Type of Fitness
Cardio-respiratory fitness is the type of physical activity that physicians refer to when giving advice to keep you physically fit. Generally, respiratory fitness is the shortened version of this term. The most common form of respiratory fitness that you will recognize is aerobic exercise.
Define Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise improves the movement of oxygen through the body by increasing the heart rate to somewhere in the range of 50 percent to 90 percent of its maximum. The type of exercise is not important so long as it raises the heart rate and lasts for a period of time. Cardio-respiratory fitness typically relies on exercise that continues for at least 30 minutes. The activities you choose for respiratory fitness can include fast walking, swimming, cycling, dancing or any other activity that will raise your heart rate to at least 50 percent of its maximum and get you breathing heavier.
Physical Benefits of Respiratory Fitness
The aerobic exercise performed as part of any respiratory fitness program strengthens the heart. It lowers the resting heart rate, thus being less taxing on your heart. With your heart becoming stronger, your body's ability to increase healthy blood flow to all the parts of your body improves. Your weight should decrease, if needed, bringing your body into a healthy range for your age, sex and height. The regular activity of your respiratory fitness program along with a healthy diet will help you keep the fat from increasing your waistline.
Prevention of Illness
The Mayo Clinic reports that respiratory fitness strengthens your body's immune system, which helps it fight off infections. The inhibition of colds and flu, which are mainly viral infections, occurs by the presence of a healthy and active immune system. Respiratory fitness reduces your susceptibility to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.
Weight Loss
Respiratory fitness of the correct type aids in the reduction of weight. Selecting a water-based exercise program may appear to be counterproductive in your efforts to lose weight, but just because your exercise program in the water environment of your pool doesn't cause you to sweat doesn't mean that you are not working. The body expends more energy through swimming for respiratory fitness than almost any other sport. It builds the lungs and your stamina.
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