{"id":19229,"date":"2017-01-30T11:29:48","date_gmt":"2017-01-30T19:29:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicalfitnessnetwork.org\/public\/?p=19229"},"modified":"2017-01-24T15:47:50","modified_gmt":"2017-01-24T23:47:50","slug":"best-exercise-heart-heres-cardio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/all-mfn\/best-exercise-heart-heres-cardio\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Exercise for Your Heart: Here’s Why You Should Do Cardio"},"content":{"rendered":"

The heart is the key to life as we know it. If it fails we die. Cardiovascular exercise<\/a>\u00a0is a life affirming activity because it is focused on the heart.\u00a0The idea of cardiovascular training is to stress the heart and cardiovascular system so that we bring oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues of the body and strengthen the heart muscle itself. The process whereby the arteries that transport the oxygenated blood from the heart to the muscles also give us the ability to accomplish the normal activities of daily life.<\/p>\n

\"\"A cardio training session is characterized by continuous movement over time at a specified rate of speed. Walking for an extended period of time would qualify as a form of cardio exercise. Playing tennis does\u00a0not qualify as a cardio activity\u00a0because it does\u00a0not consist in continuous movement, just as a round of golf doesn\u2019t.\u00a0Other types of cardio exercise are\u00a0cycling, swimming laps, hiking, running, cross country skiing and other such activities that require one to work overtime and involve\u00a0a constant effort to maintain muscular involvement of all the major muscle groups on the body.<\/p>\n

Understanding Heart Rates<\/strong><\/h4>\n

1. RESTING HEART RATE: This is measured in the morning before you get out of bed. It is done by placing two fingers on the wrist (radial artery) or neck (carotid artery) for 60 seconds and counting the number of beats. This number can also be found by counting for 15 seconds and multiplying by four. Your resting heart rate is used in calculating training heart rates and will be an indicator of improvement resulting from cardio training. My resting heart rate has been as low as 40 beats per minute (the average is 72 bpm).<\/p>\n

2. TARGET\u00a0HEART RATE: The idea of establishing a target\u00a0heart rate is to \u201cfind your starting place\u201d and determining the intensity during your training session. Each bout of cardio can be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour or more \u2013 depending upon your fitness goals and preparedness. The more conditioned one is, the more \u201cwork\u201d one can do in a shorter period of time \u2013 burning more calories as a result \u2013 and strengthening the heart as well. To determine your target\u00a0hear rate, take 220 minus your age and that will give you a rough \u201cmaximum heart rate\u201d. Multiply that result by 50-85% to establish the range for your heart rate. In my case, I\u2019ll be 70 in August, so:<\/p>\n

220 \u2013 70 = 150 (maximum hear rate)<\/p>\n

150 x .5 = 75 beats per minute (low end)<\/p>\n

150 x .85 = 127 beats per minute (upper limit)<\/p>\n

Knowing these two parameters is important \u2013 for both success \u2013 and safety.\u00a0The less conditioned you are, the lower the intensity you should\u00a0start from. The more conditioned you are, the more intensity you can bring to your chosen activity. Intensity is determined during and after the activity by counting the number of beats in a 6 second count and multiplied by ten.<\/p>\n

If you have questions do\u00a0seek the assistance of a fitness professional in guiding you to your own individualized program. Do consult a medical professional before beginning ANY exercise program requiring an understating of your current fitness levels while discovering any personal limitations that may have such as joint issues, heart issues, blood pressure issues, medications and other potential \u201cred flags<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Benefits of Cardiovascular Training<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Being aware of the many benefits of cardio training and reminding yourself about them is crucial to ensuring that you remain\u00a0committed to your fitness and health goals.<\/p>\n

The amount of blood pumped by the heart in one contraction\u00a0is called stroke volume (SV). Stroke volume improves\u00a0as a consequence of cardio training resulting in decreased blood sugar levels, improved lipid profile (circulating fat called triglycerides), improved stress responses, a calming of the mind, and increased energy levels to\u00a0mention just a few. Here\u2019s a more detailed list of the benefits of cardio training:<\/p>\n

Improved\u00a0respiratory function:<\/strong><\/p>\n