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How Cardio Exercises Benefit your Body

April 13, 2009

cardioexerciseThere are several factors that need to be considered when exercising in order to get the maximum results.  You should focus on the length of each exercise you perform, the intensity in which you perform the exercises, the length of times that you work out each week, and if you are doing interval training.

Cardiovascular exercise will help you lose weight and strengthen your heart.  Sometimes people forget to add cardio to their daily routine because people believe that too much cardio can cause a loss in muscle mass.  The truth is that it does not minimize muscle mass.

It does, however, help you build up endurance and tone your body.  The following are some reasons why you should incorporate cardio exercise into your workouts.

Cardio exercise can lower your blood pressure and your resting heart rate.  It will help you burn calories and lose excess fat.  Cardio exercise can prevent certain diseases, such as heart disease and obesity.

Cardio exercise will build endurance and strengthen your mental well-being.  It will also increase your blood flow and will therefore deliver more nutrients to your muscles.

When doing cardio exercise, you need to focus on the intensity of your workout.

Intensity means how hard you are working yourself.  The higher the intensity, the more fat you will lose.  For those that are just starting off, their heart rate should be less than 55% of what their maximum heart rate is.

Those that are more experienced with cardio activities should keep their target heart rate at 65-90%.  To figure out your maximum heart rate, take the number 220 and subtract your age from it.  Some cardio machines have sensors on the hand grips that will enable you to track your heart rate.

Another way to check your heart rate is to see your ability to carry on a conversation while exercising.  If you can speak clearly, your intensity level is not high enough.

The duration of an exercise is the length of time that you are performing it.  You should do between 20-60 minutes of cardio exercise each time you go to the gym.

Those that are new to cardio exercise should start off with 10-20 minutes and build up their stamina.  Never overexert yourself, especially if you are new to exercising.

If you feel yourself becoming dizzy, stop your exercise and contact your doctor.  If you are looking to build muscle, limit the length of time you spend doing cardio.

The frequency in which you exercise means how many times a week you perform the exercise.  A good rule is to go to the gym 3-5 times a week.  Do not go more than two days without doing cardio activity.

Interval training means that you change the intensity of the workout several times during the activity.

An example of interval cardio training is starting off on the treadmill walking for two minutes and then following up with a three-minute run.  Then go back to walking again.

This type of cardio training can be done for a shorter amount of time, say 15-20 minutes a session.


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