Exercises to lose weight – Cardio Exercises

Cardio ExercisesCardiovascular Exercises (Cardio Exercises)

Aiming and looking forward to a healthy lifestyle? Then cardio exercises are recommended for you. Because people nowadays are more likely to live a sedentary lifestyle and they can easily acquire obesity and cardiovascular problems, doing exercises cardio is a great way to maintain and achieve a healthy body weight. These exercises help in maintaining the optimum condition of the respiratory and cardiovascular system. A healthy blood pressure is maintained, there is an improved blood circulation and respiratory function and body stamina is increased, leading to improvement in health and reduction of death caused by cardiovascular problems.

To be able to enjoy all the benefits of cardio exercises, one must put his or her Maximum Heart Rate into consideration. It is obtained by subtracting your age from 220 if you are a man or 226 if you are a woman. You don’t have to work out at this rate but as suggested by the American Heart Association, you should work out on the 50% to 75% of your Maximum Heart Rate. This percentage is called the Target Heart Rate Zone and this is the ideal rate to achieve in order to keep the heart in good shape during workout.

Phases of cardio exercises

Certain phases of the cardio exercises should be followed to prepare the body and enable you to easily recover from the workout. The first phase is the Warm-up Phase and its function is to prepare the body for workout. This lasts for about 5 to 10 minutes and starts from low intensity body movements then progresses in to the next phase, the Training Phase.
During Training Phase, your cardiac rate gradually reaches and stays in the target heart rate zone. This phase lasts for about 15 to 25 minutes. Examples of the movements done here are jumping and running continuously. Last phase is the Cool-down Phase. It is the reverse of the Warm-up Phase wherein the training heart rate goes back to a resting state. Deep stretching is done here and the body should feel energized from the exercise.

There are many cardio exercises that have been introduced by health enthusiasts nowadays. There is no right or best cardio exercise but the suggested ones are those that you work hardest and those that you enjoy doing.
These cardio exercises may simply be the ones that you consistently do each day. Here are some of the cardio exercises that could help you achieve a healthy lifestyle. If you aim to burn more calories, running and swimming are good options. These are good exercises because besides doing the above function, these also help in the formation of connective tissues and strong bones and these speed up your heart rate quickly.

Another option is the Step Aerobics. It is the most preferred by women and for those who like routine workouts. It mainly targets the gluteus muscles, legs and hips during a 30-minute workout. It may be complicated but enrolling in a beginner’s class or buying a video may help you start the workout. Cross-country skiing is also a great calorie-burning exercise. You can do this by skiing over a great length of snow or by using a gym machine. 30 minutes of skiing can burn about 330 calories. If you want to increase your endurance, an excellent choice would be cycling. With the use of your leg power, you are able to burn 250-500 calories and increase your body stamina.

cardio exercisesCardio exercises – Few Words Of Caution

There are certain conditions that are contraindicated for cardio exercises. These conditions should not be done without a doctor’s approval and these include cardiac problems, high blood pressure and uncontrolled metabolic diseases. So before any exercise workout, always consult your doctor. Attaining a healthy weight and maintaining a healthy body is not an easy task and these need a focus mind and alert body. With the help of these exercises, a healthy lifestyle is now achievable.