Valentine’s Day is coming with only 8 days and counting so if you haven’t figured out what you’re getting for your sweetie, check out some Valentine suggestions in our parenting, marriage and family fun blogs.In the meanwhile, you’ve seen a lot about cardio here and we’re going to talk about Cardio and what it means to your fitness.
Cardio is short for cardiovascular exercise. It’s the type that strengthens the heart and lungs and burns lots of calories. There are lots of reasons to make sure cardio is a part of any fitness program. Cardio is ideal for every age group and whether you’re 20 or 80, cardio provides a multitude of benefits including:
· Lowers Blood Pressure
· More Energy
· Improves Natural Balance
· Strengthens Immune System
· Strengthens Bones
· Builds up Bone Density
· Reduces Stress
· Relieves Arthritis Pain
· Lessens PMS Symptoms
· Reduces Potential Blood Clots
· Can Help Reduce or Stop the Smoking of Cigarettes
· Increases Joint Strength
· Eases Pain of Varicose Veins
· Eases Lower Back Pain
· Strengthens Heart
· Strengthens Lungs
· Reduces Risk of Heart Attack
· Reduces Risk of Stroke
· Reduces Weight
Cardiovascular exercises promote all of this and much more. The word cardio is often used interchangeably with the word aerobic. Both refer to the same type of exercise: the kind that challenges your heart and lung capacity. To get this effect cardio exercises require using the large muscle groups in the legs, back, buttocks and chest. Popular cardio exercises include:
· Walking
· Swimming
· Stair Climbing
· Running
· Roller-Blading
· Skiing
· Dancing
All age groups and at all different levels of intensity can perform cardiovascular exercises. There is no cap on how cardio workouts can be performed. If you took a 90-minute workout and broke it up into 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes at lunch and 30 minutes after dinner – the body still benefits from the workout.
It’s important to remember when starting any cardio program that you still need to warm up and cool down. Warm up by doing light stretching and then starting off your cardio program slow. Cool down by slowing your movements for up to 10 minutes at the end of the workout and repeating the stretches you performed in the beginning. It’s important to not start and stop suddenly — this allows you to reduce opportunities for injury to both your muscles and your heart and still reap all the benefits.
So give all the hearts in your family a gift to remember this Valentine’s Day – make Cardiovascular Exercise the gift that keeps on giving.