Excess body fat is being associated with different body ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis, obesity and a number of cardiovascular disorders. With the health impact of excess body fat, many individuals are looking for simple ways to shed the extra pound, gain lean muscles and maintain that slim body. Although diet has been shown to work exceptionally well in facilitating all this and keeping the body healthy, various exercises have been noted to increase the process of losing fat and gaining lean muscles.
Research has shown that various aerobic activities are great for the body, mind and heart. Aerobic activities such as regular cardio exercises are effective in decreasing total cholesterol, reducing body fat, improving heart and lung function and lowering the resting heart rate. The reasons why many individuals who intend to lose weight quickly are ignoring cardio workouts is because some think that the form of exercise is hard while others don’t create time to effectively implement the cardio exercises appropriately. Such individuals are always misguided since aerobic workouts are cornerstone to living a long and healthy lifestyle.
Principles of cardio exercises
For an activity to be regarded as cardio, it has to meet two principles. The first principle is intensity. An activity is regarded as cardio when an individual’s heart rate is elevated into an aerobic zone. This means that the heart rate has to be elevated from 55% to 85% of the maximum heart rate. The second principle is time. If an activity last for at least 10 minutes per given workout session it can be regarded as a cardio exercise.
Benefits of cardio workouts
Cardiovascular workouts are all activities that have both time and intensity and raise the heart rate. The form of exercise has a lot of benefits to the body. Some of the benefits include;
- It helps reduce stress
- It helps you sleep better
- It makes you feel good
- It reduces the risks of heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol
- It makes the heart strong
- It is an effective way to burn calories, increase metabolism and facilitate weight lose.
- It increases bone density
- It increases the lung capacity
Examples of cardio workouts
Some of the activities that are regarded as cardio include;
- Stationary and recumbent bike: This is a fantastic cardio workout that increases the strength of the heart and at the same time strengthens the legs.
- Rowing machine: This is an awesome cardio exercising machine that requires one to use both the cardio endurance and strength. Full movement of the cardio machine requires the cardio output of the heart and lungs. It is also a suitable exercising machine that uses full body, strengthen different muscles and increase fat burning.
- Circuit training: This is an exercise routine that combines resistance training and cardiovascular fitness to provide general body fitness. It is a good workout that strengthens the heart, increase lung capacity and boost metabolism.
- Treadmill: Instead of walking or running in a hot afternoon or in a rainy environment, it is important to try something different that will help you to attain your recommended daily cardiovascular exercises. Treadmill is a simple cardio machine that strengthens your bones muscles and heart.
- Elliptical trainer: This is a simple but popular machine that moves the legs in an oval, elongate pattern. It has a digital monitor that records the distance, speed and heart rate of the individual using it. It is a good cardio workout machine that works perfect for those who need to lose weight quickly and at the same time gain lean muscles.
