Regular cardio or aerobic exercise can help manage your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels and even prevent heart disease. Activities like brisk walking, jogging, swimming, participating in team sports and even taking care of chores around the house and yard can be part of a good cardio program.
Function
Moderate-to-vigorous cardio activity should be performed for 30 minutes or longer most days of the week to reap maximum benefits to the heart, lungs and circulation, according to the American Heart Association. An effective cardio routine will exceed 50 percent of a person's exercise capacity or maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate equals 220 minus your age. For a 40-year-old that is 180.
Good cardio routines can be diverse and flexible. Three 10- to 15-minute workout sessions sprinkled throughout the day can be just as effective as one 30-minute session. The main thing is to make cardio exercise part of your daily routine.
Considerations
A typical day might begin with a 15-minute brisk walk or jog. Taking the stairs instead of an elevator at work and parking further from the door when you stop at the store on the way home all contribute to your cardio regimen. Mowing the lawn or joining in a softball game during the evening can top off a physically active day.
Resistance Training
Strength or resistance training exercises complement a cardio routine and can help ensure you are getting a well-rounded workout. While aerobic exercises benefit your heart and improve stamina strength training can promote lean muscle mass and help you burn calories more efficiently. Free weights, machine weights, exercise balls, along with Pilates and calisthenics such as pushups, situps and jumping jacks are examples of resistance exercises.
Outlook
Committing to a regular cardio routine can not only guard against heart disease, it can improve the condition of people with heart problems. Heart disease patients who take part in in regular, aerobic exercise can significantly lower their risk of death, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Don't push yourself too hard, however, or you increase the risk of injury not to mention sore muscles. Taking a few minutes to warm-up is an important part of a good cardio routine (See Reference 5.) Begin a 30 minute jog may with stretches and a slow walk. Check with your doctor before beginning a cardio workout program, especially if you have been inactive.
References
- American Heart Association; Physical Activity
- Cleveland Clinic; Dr. Gordon Blackburn; Exercise: How Much Is Enough?
- Cleveland Clinic: Exercise Smart for your Healthy Heart
- Mayo Clinic; Aerobic Exercise: What's the Best Frequency for Workouts?; Dr. Edward R. Laskowski; October 2010
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Aerobic Exercise; May 2010
- Mayo Clinic; Strength Training: Get Stronger, Leaner, Healtheir; June 2010
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