Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise is vital for overall heart health as well as for maximized weight loss. While strength training is important, it burns fat by speeding your metabolism on a long term basis, cardio is the fastest way to shed pounds and allow muscle to show through. An exercise regime that doesn't incorporate some form of cardio exercise will not be effective.

298x232_FT_cardio_motivation_ST.jpgAccording to the latest joint American Heart Association/American College of Sports Medicine guidelines on physical activity, all healthy adults ages 18–65 should be getting at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days of the week.

There are numerous health benefits that make regular cardiovascular exercise extremely favorable.

  1. Boosts metabolism

  2. Improves quality of sleep

  3. Slows bone loss

  4. Helps treat and prevent depression

  5. Decreases risk of heart disease and cancer

  6. Reduces stress and anxiety


How much cardio you should be doing depends on how experienced you are at working out. How long to work out and to what extent depends on your fitness level.

Beginner
The great thing about being a beginner is that even limited cardiovascular exercise will produce results. For many people just starting out, cardio can seem like a real challenge. It's important to ease in gently at a lower intensity. As a general guideline work to a level where you can still talk comfortably. Try to maintain this intensity for 20 minutes. It takes roughly 20 minutes to burn fat and improve the condition of your heart.

Intermediate
At this level you should have experience working out and feel more comfortable doing cardiovascular exercise for a longer period of time. However, you likely haven't over exerted yourself. You can consider yourself intermediate if you have been consistently exercising for approximately the past 6 weeks. At this level you should be trying different forms of cardiovascular exercise to vary your workouts.

Advanced
If you have been working out consistently for the past six months or longer then you may consider yourself advanced. Cardiovascular training boosts your metabolism for up to 24 hours after a workout. Working out with a heart rate monitor will help to ensure you maintain your heart rate at the right level for optimal performance. Workouts at this level should last anywhere between 30 to 50 minutes but if you can do more then go for it!