Cardio exercise increases your heart rate, which increases your body's oxygen consumption, according to the American Council on Exercise. You should work cardio exercise into your daily routine to maintain a healthy weight. You may already perform some cardio exercise if you regularly walk a great deal, climb flights of stairs to get home or to work, or do physical labor daily.
Levels
There are three levels of cardio exercise: low, moderate and vigorous. Low-intensity cardio workouts involve activities like slow walking. Moderate-intensity cardio exercise includes fast walking, pushing a lawn mower or riding a bike on a trail that only has a few hills. Vigorous-intensity, also referred to as high-intensity, exercise includes running, playing basketball, riding a bike on hilly terrain at a fast pace, and fast rope jumping. All of these exercises and activities can accelerate your heart rate, but each category affects your heart rate differently.
Time Frame
Depending on your physical ability and goals, you may perform moderate-intensity or high-intensity cardio exercise two to four times per week. The CDC recommends performing a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate cardio each week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity cardio workouts. The CDC also recommends strength training, or weightlifting, at least two days a week. Lean muscle mass helps burn fat and keeps your bones strong. Your health care provider may recommend more or less cardio exercise, depending upon your health needs.
Benefits
Cardio exercise can help you maintain your current weight. If you're overweight, vigorous-intensity cardio workouts help you burn maximum calories and lose weight. Cardio exercise also helps lower your cholesterol level, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease and other coronary conditions. Cardio exercise increases the amount of oxygen you get. It can strengthen your lungs, heart and muscles, because it makes them function at their full capacity.
Considerations
Work out a cardio exercise plan with your health care for the greatest health benefits. You may need to assess your current weight and choose a healthy target weight. If you're already a healthy weight, you may need to perform a certain amount of cardio exercise to maintain that weight. The older you become, the harder it is to keep weight off. If you haven't exercised for a while, begin with a low- or moderate-intensity cardio exercise routine before jumping into a vigorous-intensity workout.
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