What is Cardiovascular Exercise?

Do you often need help with cardiovascular exercise? If so, this guide is for you! (Image via unsplash/Chander R)
Cardiovascular exercises have many benefits. (Image via Unsplash/Chander R)

Cardiovascular exercise, or aerobic exercise, strengthens the heart and lungs and helps keeps the cardiovascular system healthy.

It uses large muscle groups, such as the arms, legs, hips, and butt. The body's demand for oxygen increases during aerobic exercise. You can work out at multiple intensity levels. Cardiovascular exercise is necessary for a healthy heart. It also helps you lose weight and feel better about yourself


What is Cardiovascular Exercise?

Cardiovascular exercise is any physical activity that increases the heart rate to strengthen muscles and increase endurance.

It uses large muscle groups continuously for an extended period at a slow to moderate pace (between 120-150 beats per minute). These activities include jogging, swimming, cycling, and dancing.

Anaerobic exercise uses large muscle groups in quick bursts to build strength or speed with little rest between exercises (at a faster than moderate pace). Examples of anaerobic exercises include weightlifting, sprinting, and plyometrics (jump training).


It uses large muscle groups

Cardiovascular exercise is any kind of activity that raises the heart rate and gets you breathing harder.

It uses large muscle groups, such as the arms, legs, hips, and butt. This type of physical activity can be performed at multiple intensity levels — from slow and steady to fast and intense — depending on what you want to achieve.

Cardiovascular exercise can be done anywhere (at home or at the gym), with or without equipment. You can even do it while watching TV.


The body's demand for oxygen increases

During cardiovascular exercise, the body requires more oxygen. As a result, the heart pumps more blood to the muscles, and the lungs take in more air. That results in an increased need for oxygen to be delivered to the muscles.


You can work out at multiple intensity levels

The intensity of your workout is determined by how hard you work and how fast you go.

For example, if you're running at a certain speed and it's easy for you to hold a conversation, that's an example of a low intensity exercise. If it would be difficult to speak because your breathing is rapid and heavy, that's an example of a high intensity exercise.

It's important to know how to gauge your intensity level so that you can choose the right one for your fitness level and goals. To do that correctly, learn about the different RPEs (Rate of Perceived Exertion).


Cardiovascular exercise is necessary for healthy heart

Cardio exercises are a form of exercise that increases heart rate and breathing. It can be performed for longer periods and at a lower intensity than anaerobic exercise, and it's especially good for people who want to lose weight or get in better shape.

These exercises include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing, or any other activity that keeps the heart rate up while you're doing it. If you start working out at the gym or going for a run on a treadmill every day but find yourself too tired to do anything else afterward (including sitting down), you might be overtraining.

In that case, you need to dial back your routine till the body has time to recover between workouts so that the muscles don't become exhausted.


It also helps you lose weight and feel better about yourself

Cardiovascular exercises help lose weight and feel better about yourself. It’s not just about the physical benefits, though: cardiovascular exercise can also boost your mood, self-esteem, and confidence.

For example, if you use a treadmill at home or walk to work every day instead of driving, you will notice that your clothes fit better than they used to. You may even feel more confident wearing those skinny jeans that haven’t fit since college. The truth is that once you start paying attention to how much fat is in your body (and where), it becomes easier to get rid of it.


Cardiovascular exercises are essential to keeping the heart healthy, and they can also help you lose weight and feel better about yourself.

Even if you’re not an athlete, there are many ways to get fit with aerobic exercise. Start by walking for ten minutes every day, and gradually increase the amount of time spent exercising each week so that eventually you will be able to do all your workouts in one place — your home.

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Edited by Bhargav