Cardio Advantages

2023 Author: Leslie Forster | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 07:36

Sure, lifting weights and doing resistance exercises helps you to have a better posture and more defined muscles, but when it comes to losing weight, nothing compares to cardiovascular exercise. If you manage to walk at a fast pace, jog or swim for half an hour or more a couple of days a week, you will not only be achieving a better figure, but also contributing significantly to improving your general health.

Cardio helps lower blood pressure, maintain a healthy weight, control sugar and stimulate lung health. "Cardiovascular exercise is an activity that involves large body muscles, increases heart rate, is continuous and rhythmic," explains Nieca Goldberg, chief of the division of women's cardiac care at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital. Walking, cycling, jogging, swimming, and dancing are all cardio activities.

How much "cardio" do you need

The moment a woman gets on her bike (static or not), she begins to run on a treadmill or on the street, countless things begin to happen that help her maintain a healthy heart. "If practiced regularly, cardiovascular exercise helps prevent heart problems," says Dr. Goldberg. According to the American Society of Hypertension, cardiovascular exercise is the number one way to control blood pressure.

The way to exercise

According to the doctor, a woman who practices cardiovascular exercises on a regular basis will notice an improvement in her blood pressure between 3 and 4 weeks; however, this routine must be maintained for at least one year for the impact to be significant. In other words, the ideal is to make "cardio" part of your regular exercise routine. The important thing is to choose an activity that you really enjoy, and therefore practice regularly.

Measuring intensity

The best way to determine if the exercise you are doing is having a real positive impact on your body is to measure your ideal heart rate. To find out what your number is, calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Then, take between 70 and 85 percent of this number and you will have your ideal heart rate. For example, if you are 30 years old, this should be between 133 and 162 beats (220-30 = 190; 190x or.70 = 133; 180 × 0.85 = 162). So:

20 years: 140 to 170 beats

30 years: 133 to 162 beats

40 years: 126 to 153 beats

50 years: 119 to 145 beats

60 years: 112 to 136 beats

70 years: 105 to 128 beats

Source: Fitness Magazine

Photo: Wavebreak Media