Cardiovascular Exercise Tips
Read these 22 Cardiovascular Exercise Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Muscle Building tips and hundreds of other topics.
Burning Calories
The number of calories burned that is noted by various cardio machines is only an estimate. A rule-of-thumb for an average size person walking or running is 100 calories a mile. If your machine says you burn 200 calories in half an hour, that would be equivalent effort to walking two 15-minute miles. Calorie estimates on treadmills and bikes are probably more accurate than on other equipment. Changing the resistance on an elliptical should not make a dramatic difference in calories burned. The best thing to do is to concentrate on your effort level and feel you've had a good workout at the end.
10/10/10 plan
To break up the boredom of doing one piece of cardio equipment for 30-45 minutes, try 10 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes on the treadmill.
Cardio Exercise and Weight Loss
Both walking and running aid weight loss by burning calories. Running is more effective, but walking works too. You just have to do enough of it. Swimming doesn't seem to be as effective for weight loss, though the reason isn't totally clear, but it's still great exercise for health and cardio fitness.
Intervals
Interval training, is another concept that can be applied to cardiovascular conditioning. It involves performing an activity such as running, at a very intense level for a specified period of time, followed by performing a lower intensity activity such as jogging for a specified period of time. These periods of high intensity followed by low intensity would be repeated a specific number of times. This method also helps to eliminate boredom from cardiovascular activity by incorporating these adjustments in intensity.
Recumbent Bike
A recumbent bike is one in which you are in a seated position similar to a chair, with the pedals being out in front of you. These bikes tend to be more comfortable for many people. The bike pictured here is made by Life Fitness, and has a variety of features, including 20 levels, and many different pre-programed routines.
Training Intensity and Calorie Burning
If you train intensely, you will burn more calories but not last as long, so you may burn more overall by training at a slower pace. Don't slow down too much. A training pace of 70-80% of your maximum heart rate, or a feeling of "somewhat hard," is best for calorie burning and general fitness. If you want to improve your running speed, you will have to do faster workouts a couple times a week. It's best to vary your workouts and not always do the same thing.
Walking as Cardio Exercise
Exercise to improve the cardiovascular system involves rhythmic, sustained action of the large muscles, usually the legs. Walking qualifies as does running, swimming, skating, biking, rowing, step aerobics, and cross country skiing, among others. Walking farther or faster makes the exercise more effective. Essentially, the heart gets stronger and more efficient by this type of exercise, and circulation is improved.
Walking or Running for Fat Loss
Although you may burn a higher percentage of fat calories when walking, you will burn more total calories, and more total fat calories, by running the same amount of time. Running burns slightly more calories for the same distance covered, although walking will take longer. Still, if you don't like to run, don't like the impact, or are not in shape to run very far, you will burn more calories and fat by walking because you will be able to do significantly more of it.
Cardio for the older athlete
A study done by the American Heart Association found that the blood vessels of older athletes, primarily individuals who participate in endurance exercise, behave like those of people half their age. Blood vessels of older athletes maintained their elasticity and ability to dilate to handle increased blood flow.
Elliptical Machine
An Elliptical Machine allows you to do cardiovascular activity at a variety of levels, in a non-impact environment. You can adjust the resistance as well as ramp height to vary the intensity. You can also select from a variety of pre-programmed courses, and on some machines even monitor your heart rate.
Cardiovascular Muscle
Cardiovascular exercise, also called aerobic exercise, is exercise for your cardiovascular system, which is the heart and lungs and associated circulatory structures. Examples are running, walking, biking, swimming, skating, rowing, and aerobics. The cardiovascular muscle would be your heart.
Cardiovasular Training Intensity Based on Feel
Another way to monitor cardiovascular training intensity is to use a "perceived exertion scale". This basically means listening to your body in terms of pushing yourself, and gradually increasing the intensity as you progress. One scale goes from 1-10, with a 1 meaning you are at rest, 5 being a moderate intensity (e.g. comfortable walk), and with a 10 meaning you are going as hard as you can. This method will work well if you can push yourself, but if you need a lot of external motivation then this method may not be very helpful for you.
Walking or Running for Fat Loss
Although you may burn a higher percentage of fat calories when walking, you will burn more total calories, and more total fat calories, by running the same amount of time. Running burns slightly more calories for the same distance covered, although walking will take longer. Still, if you don't like to run, don't like the impact, or are not in shape to run very far, you will burn more calories and fat by walking because you will be able to do significantly more of it.
Training Intensity Using Defined Measurements
You can also measure cardiovascular intensity by the settings on the machine, if you use machines, or by speed, distance, or incline if you are doing outdoor cardio. Machines typically display speed, incline, resistance etc. By progressively increasing those numbers you can effectively increase your intensity.
Exercise Reduces Heart Disease Risk
Age, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, family history of heart disease, diabetes, and smoking are all risk factors for coronary heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. Some of these risk factors can be alleviated by exercise.
Walking, a good BASIC exercise
Walking is good for bone density, muscular endurance, balance and strength, especially for those who are deconditioned. If you are beyond a basic level of fitness, walking will do little to build strength or bone density, unless you make it harder by walking uphill, power or speed walking, or adapting racewalking techniques to increase difficulty. Walking does help to achieve or maintain cardiovascular fitness and control or prevent many chronic diseases.
Cardiovascular Muscle
Cardiovascular exercise, also called aerobic exercise, is exercise for your cardiovascular system, which is the heart and lungs and associated circulatory structures. Examples are running, walking, biking, swimming, skating, rowing, and aerobics. The cardiovascular muscle would be your heart.
Blood pressure
A normal BP (blood pressure) reading is 120/80. Everyone should have a BP check regularly. Exercise can help normalize blood pressure.
Getting Rid of Love Handles
Aerobic exercise, such as walking or running on a treadmill, will help get rid of "love handles"--that roll of fat around the waist. You also have to watch what you eat. Cut back on junk food and sweets.
Stair Climber
Stair climbers come in many different styles, however the basic premise is that they all try to mimic climbing stairs and typically run off of a gearing type mechanism which provides resistance to your body weight, which can be adjusted. Just like other cardio machines, stair climbers have a variety of different pre-set programs that you can use, and give you the typical readouts of calories, time, flights climbed etc. The one pictured below is made by LifeFitness.
Cross Training for Cardiovascular Workout
Cross training involves doing a variety of activities to achieve development. In terms of cardiovascular activities, there are any number of combinations of activities you can do. For instance,this could consist of running stairs followed by sprints, and ending with jogging. The key to developing cardiovascular capacity is to perform the activities for a minimum of 10 minutes within your target heart rate zone (building up to 20-30 minutes within the target heart rate zone). Cross training also helps to reduce the boredom some individuals face when doing extended cardiovascular exercise routines.
Monitoring Training Intensity
In order for you to optimize your cardiovascular workout, training at the proper intensity is very important. The most accurate way to monitor this is by using a heart rate monitor; a good one can be purchased for somewhere between $60-$80. This will help you to make sure you are not doing too much or too little cardio, both of which could result in not shedding the fat you would like to get rid of.
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