Cardio exercise needn’t be as serious as it sounds, it is in fact one of the most beneficial habits one can ever adopt; not only will it serve you in the long run but it is a very important aspect of ones overall health. It has even been identified to help reduce the risk of developing diabetes, as it is an extremely effective way to burn calories, as well as reducing cholesterol levels.
Cardio exercise is loosely defined as any exercise that raises the heart rate for a prolonged period of time, or any effective aerobic activity. This type of exercise is ideal for weight loss, and recommended cardio exercises include, amongst others cycling, rowing, walking, step aerobics and swimming. These cardio exercises are further defined into low and high intensity levels, with the differences mainly being the time and intensity exertion level of the cardio exercise activity concerned. Cardio exercises for Beginers.
Various cardio exercise programs are available for general fitness as well as for more intensive training purposes, and like with any health issue there are ongoing debates and differing opinions. The most important aspect, as with any exercise, is that one finds the right program suitable to your particular fitness level, and more importantly in line with your health status.
Without going out and buying the latest and greatest exercise machine on the market an ideal starting point for the cardio exercise beginner would be to start walking, alternatively cycling and stair climbing are also suitable starting points. It makes one think that instead of waiting for the elevator, why not take the stairs instead – not a bad start in the right direction.
When embarking upon your cardio exercise program, it is ideal to initially exercise every other day and rest in between. This allows your body to grow into the routine of exercise, especially if you are graduating from the couch.
It is also recommended that before starting that one should warm up by stretching and performing light cardio exercise to increase the heart rate, this can be done by slow walking or walking on the spot, and then progress to a higher intensity.
As soon as one reaches a comfortable level of exercise, the exercise time can be increased until one can continuously workout for 30 minutes, this is ideal for your cardio exercise objectives. One can slowly increase pace, distance or intensity over time to ensure progression of your cardio program.
In order to maintain the effect of the cardio exercise program, experts generally agree that a warm down or stretching routine be undertaken to relax the body and to retain flexibility of the muscles. Although medical study has indicated that stretching before or after exercise has very little impact upon muscle soreness, it seems to be widely accepted that the mere hedonistic pleasure derived from the stretching routine is sufficient enough.
Furthermore, in accordance with overall consensus of the majority of medical practitioners and experts one should always seek advice and practice caution before embarking upon any exercise program.
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