What are some cardio exercises I can perform?

Keep in mind that cardiovascular training is defined as any type of training that involves and places a stress on the cardiorespiratory system (heart and lungs). Therefore many activities can be used for cardio training. When outlining cardio training parameters, it is helpful to look at the FITTE Principle, which stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type, and Enjoyment of the training. Frequency/Intensity/Time: It is recommended that you perform cardio 3-7 days per week depending on the intensity of training. Moderate to intense training (65-85%) should only be performed 3-5 days per week, while light intensities (such as going for a walk) can be performed 5-7 days per week. A typical workout lasts 30-90 minutes depending on your fitness level. Type: There are many types of exercise that can improve your cardiovascular fitness such as walking, jogging, biking, swimming, resistance training, and even mowing the lawn and gardening. Enjoyment: It is recommended that you chose exercises and activities that you enjoy the most. This will help keep you consistent with your exercise programs.

A cardio exercise is anything that increases your heart rate.  So that means about anything.  You should always pick something you enjoy and will keep you motivated.  I also recommend that you very the activities so you don't get bored

 Before starting any cardio program always get clearance from your physician to insure you are ready for cardio respiratory fitness.  After that simply look for activities that you enjoy, increase your heart rate, and also challenge your respiratory rate (breathing) so that you can still hold a conversation but are also “panting and puffing” a little. Activities can include but are not limited to, walking on the beach or a park with lots of hills, biking, hiking, sports like basketball or softball, and of course cardio equipment like a treadmill or elliptical trainer.

The National Academy of Sports Medicine uses a acronym called “F.I.T.T.E.” that you can use as a guideline for your cardio respiratory training. F.I.T.T.E. for general health can be summarized briefly as

Frequency: 5-7 days per week

Intensity: moderate enough to challenge heart and respiratory rates

Time: 20-60 minutes total per day…you can benefit from 10 minute bouts that total 20-60 minutes

Type- whatever you enjoy, challenges you, and is safely within your capabilities

Enjoyment: you have to like what you do if you are gonna stick with it…

So get up, get moving, and have some fun!

Cardio exercise includes any type of activity that increases your heart rate and breathing rate. So your options are really endless. Choose activities you like to do whether it is going for a walk, run, or bike ride, walking your dog, playing tag with you children, participating in a sport, cleaning your house, rollerblading, jumping rope, gardening, dancing to your favorite song, taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work or at the mall, and the list goes on. Use your imagination and choose activities you enjoy doing. The goal is to get your heart rate up.

Cardio exercise is any physical activity that raises the heart rate to around 60 to 85 percent of the maximum heart rate for an extended period of time, usually twenty minutes or longer.  Such activities would include walking, running, biking, swimming, elliptical trainers, group fitness classes and rowing.

 

Depending on your current exercise capacity, you can choose from a variety of exercises that promote cardiovascular health. Walking is a good way to start if you are just beginning an exercise program or are starting again after a long period of not exercising. You can gradually increase both the distance you walk and the pace. Walking also is a good weight-bearing exercise that will help improve bone health as well as reducing overall body fat. Other cardiovascular exercises include swimming, rowing, cycling, and running. These exercises can quickly get you breathing faster and increase your heart rate. As a rule, you need to keep your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes to have a significant effect.

Exercises that improve cardiovascular health involve many repetitions with either no weights or lighter weights. If you use weights, select ones that allow you to do a minimum of 20 repetitions comfortably; optimally, you should do 50 more for a cardiovascular effect. As with all exercises, good form is more important than how much weight you lift or how many repetitions you do.

The great thing about cardio is that anything that gets your heart rate elevated can be considered a cardio exercise!  Your options are only as limited as your imagination.  If you prefer being outdoors, some common exercise you could perform are running, biking, hiking, kayaking, skiing and swimming.  If you prefer being indoors, some common cardio exercises you could perform at home or at the gym are exercises such as running stairs, jump roping, spinning, biking on a stationary bike, taking a group fitness class or running on a treadmill among many other activities that can get your heart rate up.