Cardio Execise: Do It For Your Heart

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 times as many women die of heart disease as breast cancer each year, but only 20 percent of women consider heart disease their greatest health risk. Follow these tips from the exercise experts at Life Fitness to help you take preventative steps towards reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Adults should get at least two and a half hours of moderate cardiovascular activity a week - working to meet this weekly goal will be a great start to reducing your risk of fatal heart disease.
Starting a Cardio Program

• To qualify as cardio exercise, the activity should be continuous and require use of the large muscle groups like arms, legs, thighs and abs.

• Aim to do at least 20 minutes of cardio exercise three to five days a week; devoting 60 minutes is ideal, but if your schedule doesn’t allow for hour-long workouts, concentrate on the intensity of your efforts during the time you do have.

• For low-to-moderate intensity, exercise at 60 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. Adding in high-intensity intervals as you progress will burn more calories and increase your aerobic capacity. For high-intensity exercise, increase your efforts to reach 80 to 90 percent of your MHR.

• If you ever experience dizziness, chest pain or lightheadedness while exercising, stop immediately. If you’re unsure whether high-intensity cardio exercises are appropriate for you, talk to your physician before starting a routine.

Heart-Healthy Cardio Benefits

• Endorphins released during cardiovascular exercise will naturally elevate your mood and increase your energy levels.

• Cardio-based workouts kick up your metabolism rate, so weight loss will be easier to achieve.

• Cardio exercise helps reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression and tension, and allows for better quality sleep.

• Blood pressure can decrease and levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL), known as good cholesterol, can increase as a direct result of continuous cardio exercise.

• Increased blood flow stemming from cardio exercise will deliver more oxygenated blood to the working muscle, giving it the fuel it needs to perform at its best.

Be patient with your body and take time to transition from lower to higher intensity cardio workouts. If you invest the time, cardio exercise can offer your heart significant health benefits that could help save your life.

Fit Tips are provided by Life Fitness, the leader in designing and manufacturing high-quality exercise equipment for fitness facilities and homes worldwide. For more information on Fit Tips and other fitness advice and expertise visit