Cardio Training

Benefits of Cardio Training

The US Public Health Service has documented the risk factors of heart diseases based on a long-term study that examined the health history of various groups in the society. This study enables high-risk groups persons alert even before symptoms start appearing.

The highest risk factors as listed are male sex, age over 35, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high levels of certain fats in blood, and a family history of cardiovascular disorders.

What is Cardio?

Cardio short for cardiovascular training by design is different from resistance training. The main focal point of cardio training is to increase the fat burning process. This is accomplished by burning fat as the main fuel source. Weight resistance training builds bigger muscles and uses glucose (usable carbohydrates) as the main fuel source. Although if cardio training is intense (not able to talk and exercise simultaneously) glucose instead of fat will be used as the energy substrate. This is due to the fact that fat doesn't burn fast enough to keep up with the rapid movement.

The Healthy Heart

Just as there are factors that are detrimental to the health of heart, there also are factors that are favorable for the healthy well being of heart. It is not just about quitting smoking, taking regular exercises or giving up high-fat content food. It is about exercising your heart.

Exercising your heart may be a new concept to you. Regular heart exercise or cardio interval training can ensure your heart stay healthy. Heart really is a set of muscles working together as an organ. Regular exercises to these muscles can increase the strength of the muscles.

Exercises seem to develop a system of better connection between impaired and normal blood vessels, which ensured higher blood supply to the heart.

Studies show that moderate, yet regular exercise program (several times a week) is more helpful in developing the auxiliary capillaries than any vigorous exercise program practiced at higher frequency.

Starting Cardio Exercise

If your new to exercise, take it slow by walking in your neighbor 3 days a week for 20 min, for the first 2 weeks and progress up to 4-5 days a week for 45-60 min, at the end of the 3rd and 4th week. After that, you can try more intense versions of cardio including: treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, jogging and cross trainers.

Finding Your Heart Rate

A rudimentary way of determining intensity level for these cardio modalities is 55% to 65% of your maximum heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220, then multiple that by either .55 or .65. This is a good range that will keep you in the fat burning mode and not burning glucose that you will need for your resistance training(glucose is the preferred fuel source during weight training).

Advantages of Cardio Training:

When your muscles need oxygen and nutrients it's your heart-lung complex (cardiovascular) that does the job. When your body has waste products that need to be expelled like carbon dioxide and metabolic wastes, your cardio system better be in tip top shape, or illness and disease might soon follow. The better shape you're in the more proficient your heart will be to pump blood to all the various organs. This translates into more energy for you throughout the day and a more rewarding and productive life.

The more cardio trained you are, the less your heart has to work.

Final Thoughts

Cardio interval training assumes high importance at this point. By opting for a regular exercise regimen, you not only get a healthy body, but also reduce chances of a heart failure.

Among the several benefits that cardio interval training brings you include:

Safer Heart (threat of heart attack lessened) and enhanced heart functioning
Improved lung capacity
Better Metabolism, reduce body weight
Helps you understand and control stress.

Cardio training along with resistance training is essential to good health. It is also the cheapest and easiest way to exercise, just grab some running shoes and you're all set!

Remember, If you're new to the world of fitness, never over do it, and always get cleared by a medical doctor if you think you may have health considerations