Cardio Exercise & Heart Rates

Cardio exercises, known as aerobic or endurance exercises, provide the cornerstone for a well-rounded fitness program. Cardio exercises cause you to breathe harder and increase heart rate over a period of time while also exercising major muscle groups throughout the body. Remember to start out slowly and eventually increase intensity and duration. Check with your doctor first.

Facts

Cardio exercise and heart rates go hand-in-hand. Resting heart rates are key during cardio exercises. Resting heart rates can range from a normal adult rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute, to as low as 40 for a well-trained athlete. Healthier cardiovascular systems, obtained through cardio exercises, result in lower resting heart rates, according to MayoClinic.com. Factors contributing to heart rate levels include fitness and activity levels, body size, medication usage and emotions. Knowing your resting heart rate can keep you safe by being used as a monitoring tool to adjust your cardio exercise intensity.

Benefits

Cardio exercises and increased heart rate provide many benefits. Cardio exercises increase blood circulation, enhance sex drive, improve joint flexibility, independence levels, muscular endurance and tone, manage cholesterol and triglycerides levels, improve sleep and assist with weight management by burning calories. They provide natural relaxation and stress relief, enhance positive mindsets and counteract negative emotions such as depression and low self-esteem. Increasing the heart rate results in breathing harder, which improves lung capacity and increases efficiency of oxygen transportation throughout your body, including your blood vessels and heart. Regularly engaging in cardio exercise will also reduce risks of developing health ailments including obesity, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and stroke, according to MayoClinic.com.

Moderate Level

Moderately brisk exercises, the most common form of cardio exercise, involve raising your heart rate enough to start breathing heavily, stressing the muscles, working up a sweat but still being able to carry on a conversation. Moderately brisk levels of cardio exercises include walking briskly, dancing, bicycling indoors or outdoors, water aerobics and everyday activities such as leaf raking, pushing a lawn mower, rearranging furniture and gardening, according to MayoClinic.com. Participating in at least 150 minutes of moderately brisk level cardio exercise weekly will provide the best cardiovascular benefits.

Vigorous Level

Vigorous levels of cardio exercise increase your heart rate more than moderately brisk levels, burn more calories and require higher levels of oxygen usage, according to MayoClinic.com. Examples include aerobic dancing, competitive or fast-paced swimming, speed skating, running and sprinting. Exercising at a vigorous level for 75 minutes weekly will satisfy the fitness goal, according to MayoClinic.com.

Considerations

Take into consideration a number of items regarding cardio exercise and heart rate. Consider wearing proper fitting attire, using proper equipment and being aware of your surroundings. Place safety first and notice your body signals. Stop cardio exercise at the first signs of nausea, dizziness, illness or irregular heart beats. Carry a water bottle with you to stay hydrated throughout your workout, even if doing water exercises. Warm up and cool down properly to prevent injury.