Cardiovascular Exercises to
Lose
Weight
Cardio is one of the best ways to burn a lot
of calories while losing extra bodyfat and giving your
metabolism a big boost. Cardio exercises are those that
raise your heart rate to 65-90% of your maximum heart
rate.
Cardiovascular fitness is considered to be the most
important area of physical fitness. Cardiovascular fitness
is based on maximizing oxygen intake. This is best achieved
through physical activity involving large muscle groups
over prolonged period of time. These activities are
rhythmic and aerobic in nature (e.g. walking, running,
hiking, stair climbing, swimming cycling, rowing, dancing,
skating, cross country skiing, rope jumping, etc.).
Cardiovascular Exercises and Weight Loss
If you just want to maintain your current weight
then 60-90 minutes PER WEEK of cardio workouts will
usually be adequate. How you choose to split that time
up during the week is your choice and depends on your
level of endurance. If your goal is to burn as much
bodyfat as you can, 2-5 hours of cardio PER WEEK will
be sufficient. Your sessions should be 40-60 minutes
in length.
The best time to do your cardio sessions for maximum
fat loss is right away in the morning before you eat
anything. After you've been asleep for 6-8 hours, the
level of sugar (glucose) in your blood is very low and
your body will use stored fat as an alternative energy
source.
Benefits of Cardio Training
- Increases calorie burn
- Weight Loss
- Reduces the risk of heart disease
- Increased lung capacity
- Reduced blood pressure
- Prevents diabetes
- Burns body fat
- Increase metabolism (see BMR)
- Strengthens the cardiovascular system
- Strengthens the immune system
- Lowers stress levels
Examples of Good Cardio Exercises
- Swimming
- Power walking / treadmill
- Cycling
- Skipping / Jump roping
- Jogging
- Aerobics
(Any exercise keeps your heart rate in the target heart
rate zone). |
