Whether you train for a 5-kilometer race, take daily walks with a friend or pedal your way to a healthier you, the end result will be a fitter cardiovascular system and a more favorable calorie balance. Although your fitness level and weight are affected by different aspects of aerobic exercise, the benefits come as a package deal. While you train your heart and muscles to process oxygen more efficiently through exercise, the energy you burn contributes to the calorie deficit necessary for weight loss.
Identification
Cardiorespiratory fitness, also known as cardiovascular endurance, refers to your ability to work large muscle groups for extended periods of time. The more often you exercise and challenge your aerobic capacity, the longer you can endure physical activity. Even work and daily activities will be less taxing, because your physical stamina improves with regular exercise. Weight loss, however, is not a given with improved cardiovascular fitness. Although you do burn additional calories when you exercise, certain factors must be in place to support weight loss.
Factors
Improved fitness naturally occurs when you make exercise a regular part of your routine. Aerobic exercise, in particular, improves you cardiovascular fitness while burning a significant number of calories. Although exercise is a healthy method for managing your weight and your health, your diet also plays a role in both. To achieve modest weight loss through cardiovascular exercise, you may need to work out 150 to 250 minutes per week, explains the American College of Sports Medicine. Adding calorie restriction to your plan, however, will lead to more significant weight loss and health benefits.
Promoting Weight Loss
Cardiovascular exercise helps you burn more calories than you otherwise might. And while it's possible to lose weight with exercise, the results ultimately depend on how your caloric intake compares to your caloric expenditure. If you've maintained your weight without exercise, then burning an additional 150 or more calories a day with exercise will promote gradual weight loss. If, on the other hand, you compensate for exercise by consuming more calories or you generally consume more calories than you need for weight maintenance, cardiovascular exercise will improve your fitness without resulting in weight loss.
Considerations
The number of calories you burn during exercise affects your potential for weight loss. Calorie-burning potential during various activities depends on your body weight, the intensity and duration of the exercise and the frequency of your workouts. While exercise can help with both cardiorespiratory fitness and weight loss, your doctor is your best resource for finding the right program for your needs, particularly if you have a history of heart or orthopedic problems.
References
- Pacific Lutheran University: Defined Terms
- American College of Sports Medicine; ACSM Position Stand on Physical Activity and Weight Loss; Jan. 29, 2009
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Balancing Calories; Feb. 15, 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight; Feb. 15, 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour; Dec. 1, 2009
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; Aim for a Healthy Weight: Key Recommendations; 1998
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