The Cardiovascular Workout

Here is the first of two articles about aerobic exercise, its benefits, and why you should be doing your share.

Aerobic exercise is exercise that involves the use of large muscle groups working together in a rhythmic manner at moderate intensity to produce movement. None of the muscles are working hard enough to tire quickly but together they create a demand for oxygenated blood from the heart, so your heart rate increases. The blood needs more oxygen so your breathing rate increases, yet the moderate intensity of the activity means you can still keep going. The muscle that is really getting the workout is the heart. Doing this kind of activity regularly improves the fitness of your cardiovascular system (heart, lungs and circulation).

Aerobic simply means “with Oxygen”

Aerobic exercise is referred to in different ways;

• Endurance.
• Cardiovascular.
• C.V.
• Long slow Distance (LSD)
• Cardio

Examples of activities that can be aerobic in nature are;

• Walking. Power Walking. Nordic Walking. Hiking
• Cycling.
• Swimming.
• Rowing.
• Jogging.
• In-line Skating.
• Cross Country Skiing.
• Indoor activities like exercise classes.
• Gym based activities like Cross Trainers, Treadmills, and Rowers etc.

Note. Although all these activities can be aerobic in nature they still need to be done at the correct intensity (speed or heart rate) and for a minimum duration to have their beneficial effects.