What is Cardio Exercise and why is it so important?
Everyone all over the world has one thing in common, we all have a heart and it is the most important organ in your body. Without your heart functioning properly you would not be able to keep your brain alive. So keeping ones heart happy and working right is of the utmost importance. So how exactly do you go about doing this? According to the experts in cardiovascular health, we need to take part in an exercise that raises your heart rate and keeps it there for a period of 30 minutes per day. This should be moderate cardio activity and done at least 5 days a week. If you prefer a more vigorous type of cardio exercise, you can do 20 minutes per day, three days a week.
Benefits of Cardio Exercise
* Improves heart strength
* Improves lung capacity and strength
* Helps burn calories and over all weight loss
* Improves metabolism
* Relieve stress and it effects
and much more.....
How do we determine what the heart rate level?
The proper rate depends on your gender and your age. To determine the correct target heart rate you want to reach during all of your cardio workouts you need to find your maximum heart rate. To determine your maximum heart rate you need to subtract your age from from 226 for women and 220 for a man. Once you have a number established, it is best to follow certain guidelines. The American Heart Association recommends that you set a target of 50% to 75% of you maximum heart rate, staying close to 50% when starting out, and working closer to 75% as you progress.
How do I go about checking my heart rate?
In case you've never learned how to check your heart rate before, it is easy with a little practice. The easiest way to do it is to place two fingers at the back of your lower jaw and move them down about and inch or two, where you should feel your carotid artery. With a little bit of pressure (not too much) you should feel your pulse. Count the number of beats in 10 seconds and multiply by six.
How to determine the best cardio machine and exercise for me?
According to the experts, typical cardio exercises include jogging, walking fast and swimming. These activities done without breaks give you the best opportunity to keep your heart rate up inside your target level for a sustained period of time. If your situation makes it difficult to participate in those types of workouts, you can also choose to use exercise equipment that are designed to mimic the movements of jogging, walking fast, etc. These exercise equipment include treadmills, stair steppers, elliptical trainers and stationary bike's.
Now that you have a basis to get yourself started, you need to put your plan in motion. To get the health benefits of any cardio exercise program you must actually do the exercise.
