Thursday, August 20, 2009

Cardiovascular Exercise The Key To Health

By Ricardo d Argence

Cardio exercise it as necessary for overall health and fitness as anaerobic exercise (lifting weights) is. When you do cardio, you get your heart rate going and increase blood circulation throughout your body.

Basically cardiovascular exercise is something for the entire body in that you should work up a sweat, breathe a bit harder and get your heart rate jumping all at the same time, at least ideally.

One of the best benefits of cardiovascular exercise is that it exercises the most important muscle in your body, your heart. By getting your pulse rate up and keeping it there at a sustained rate for a period of time, you increase your overall fitness level and therefore your overall health.

It cannot be stressed enough that before you begin an exercise program you should see the doctor. Your physician can check to make sure there are no medical reasons why you cannot begin a rigorous fitness regimen.

However, one of the most commonly noted and popular benefits of doing cardiovascular exercise is that it burns off excess calories and can help you lose weight. It'll also give you an overall "toning" for your entire body.

The benefits of a cardio routine do not stop there! Not only will you burn extra calories during your workout but also you will continue to burn more calories when at rest. Recent studies suggest that this added burn can continue for up to 18 hours after you complete your routine.

While you are toning and getting fit your body will naturally begin to burn more calories and at a faster rate. The main reason for this is that as your fitness level rises you gain muscle and lose fat; it is a proven fact that muscle burns more calories even while you are sitting on the couch.

There seems to be no end to the good benefits of cardiovascular exercise as it can also be a depression buster. Exercise stimulates the release of a hormone called endorphins. These are your body�s natural opiates and are sometimes called the feel good hormone.

If you've been sedentary for a long period of time, DON'T all of a sudden become a weekend warrior determined to conquer the enemy. You will only hurt yourself and will set yourself back, because if you get injured, you'll have to have time to heal. This will thwart any plans you have to get in shape.

First visit the doctor like has already been suggested to make sure you have a clean bill of health. When your physician says you are able to begin vigorous activity you can set up your regimen. However use wisdom and common sense, begin slowly perhaps by taking a ten-minute vigorous walk each day. Do not feel bad if you cannot do the full ten minutes in the beginning, even five minutes of exercise is better than none at all.

At about the two-week mark you will begin to notice something peculiar happening. You will all of a sudden have more energy, better sleep and fewer cravings for junk foods. Overall, you will simply feel better. One surprising effect will be when you notice your attitude and mood are much more positive.

As you progress toward your fitness goals, you are going to have to increase your challenges to keep moving forward. Remember when you do a cardio workout you should always break a sweat and be breathing harder by the time it is over. Go for around 20 minutes per day at least five days per week.

If you want to really supercharge your progress with a cardio program, you might want to consider making a few other health related changes. Diet and exercise always go hand in hand but have you considered the importance of proper hydration, getting enough sleep and many other health related changes? The bottom line is once you have a good beginning on cardio you will never want to look back. - 16887

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