Cardio workouts.

We either love them, hate them, or learn to tolerate them.

I’ve been there! I used to hate any workout that included even a hint of cardio in it. However, when I started my running journey and got conditioned to running every day, I feel better than ever! I love being able to run without feeling like I’m going to get sick, and it’s also such a great feeling to know that I am taking care of my cardiovascular health.

Keep reading to learn how to benefit from cardio workouts, and hopefully, I’ll motivate you to start including more cardio in your regular workout routine!

We all know that exercise, especially cardio, is extremely beneficial to your heart, helping it to pump blood through the blood more efficiently and function normally. Without taking care of cardiovascular health, people can run the risk of serious cardiovascular diseases later in life, such as a heart attack or stroke. The heart is a muscle like any other muscle in the body, and exercise helps it perform in a more efficient manner, so it’s important to give the same exercise to our heart as other parts of our bodies!

So, what actually happens to our heart when we exercise?

As you begin exercising regularly, your heart will contract faster and circulation will increase. This gets oxygenated blood to your muscles quicker, so there is an increase in oxygen delivery. Your heart is doing exactly what it was made to do! Exercise has long-term cardiovascular benefits such as raising HDL (good) cholesterol and lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol. It can also help you to sustain a healthy weight as it helps you to burn calories and raise your heart rate and lower blood pressure in people who may struggle with elevated blood pressure.

How much exercise do I need to do to feel these benefits?

Walking, jogging, swimming, etc. are just some of the amazing aerobic exercises that have great effects on the body. 30 minutes of these exercises 5 days a week can be a huge help not just on the body, but specifically the cardiovascular system. This doesn’t need to be extensive or intense exercise either; it can be a low-impact workout like power walking five days a week or more moderate for 3 days a week. Either way, any movement is good movement and another benefit for you to reap!

The best exercises to strengthen the heart

There are exercises out there that are very specific to heart health and improvement:

• Walking

• Jogging

• Swimming

• Weight Training

• Yoga

• Interval Training

• Cycling

Movements and activities like this may be difficult for you at first if you’re not someone who works out regularly. Keep it slow, ease yourself into it, and you’ll find yourself feeling stronger and ready to take on heavier, more intense workouts in no time. The key is not to start doing too much, too soon. Ease your body into these workouts by starting slow and working up to your goal.

Keep a Routine

If you don’t exercise, you’re more than twice as likely to get heart disease than someone who does exercise. Keeping a regular exercise routine in your daily agenda will not only help your external body but also internal (obviously your heart, in this case!)

To learn more about how you can benefit from cardio workouts, book a free strategy call with me!