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When considering your overall health and fitness level cardiovascular exercise is just as important as anaerobic, lifting weights. Cardio workouts are responsible for getting your heart rate up and increasing the blood flow through your entire body.
Look at cardio as your whole body workout, during it you should feel your heart pumping, breathe a little harder than normal and work up a decent sweat in the process.
The most important muscle in your body is your heart and this is why cardio workouts are so important, they work the heart! When your pulse rises and is sustained at an elevated rate for a specific amount of time you increase your health while increasing your fitness levels.
Of course, you should check with your doctor before you begin any fitness program in case you have any contraindications whereby you shouldn't be participating in vigorous exercise.
Perhaps one of the biggest and most widely touted benefits of cardio routines is the fact that it burns off unneeded calories and helps you to lose excess weight. You will get the added benefit of toning your entire body as well.
The benefits of a cardio routine do not stop there! Not only will you burn extra calories during your workout but also you will continue to burn more calories when at rest. Recent studies suggest that this added burn can continue for up to 18 hours after you complete your routine.
In the course of becoming fit and toning your body, it will begin to burn calories faster as a natural reaction. This is because when your body is getting fit you lose weight, more importantly fat and gain muscle tissue. Muscles are scientifically proven to burn more calories even when you are asleep!
Another benefit of cardiovascular exercises that it releases the so-called "feel-good" hormones called endorphins. Endorphins are your body's natural opiates, and they can also help ease depression.
That being said if you have spent a good amount of time living a sedentary lifestyle do not try to go for the gusto all at once. This can cause significant injury and will only set you back. Injuries must have time to heal and this will take time away from getting fit.
Before you start, make a visit to your doctor and make sure you're okay for vigorous physical activity. If your doctor gives you a clean bill of health, go ahead -- but again, DON'T go full steam ahead. Instead, start slowly by walking just 10 minutes at a moderate pace every day. If you can't do 10 minutes, five is fine. The idea here is to get started and keep going.
At about the two-week mark you will begin to notice something peculiar happening. You will all of a sudden have more energy, better sleep and fewer cravings for junk foods. Overall, you will simply feel better. One surprising effect will be when you notice your attitude and mood are much more positive.
As you continue, you're going to have to give yourself greater and greater challenges to make sure you keep your fitness level up. In other words, you should ALWAYS be breaking a sweat when you do cardio and you should always be breathing hard by the time you finish your workout. Opt for at least 20 minutes a day every day, at least five days a week.
Of course, once you embark on a good cardio program, you're only going to help yourself if you change your diet to so that you eat right, get enough sleep, drink enough water, and all those other good health changes, too. After all, once you start with cardio, you'll never want to look back.
Look at cardio as your whole body workout, during it you should feel your heart pumping, breathe a little harder than normal and work up a decent sweat in the process.
The most important muscle in your body is your heart and this is why cardio workouts are so important, they work the heart! When your pulse rises and is sustained at an elevated rate for a specific amount of time you increase your health while increasing your fitness levels.
Of course, you should check with your doctor before you begin any fitness program in case you have any contraindications whereby you shouldn't be participating in vigorous exercise.
Perhaps one of the biggest and most widely touted benefits of cardio routines is the fact that it burns off unneeded calories and helps you to lose excess weight. You will get the added benefit of toning your entire body as well.
The benefits of a cardio routine do not stop there! Not only will you burn extra calories during your workout but also you will continue to burn more calories when at rest. Recent studies suggest that this added burn can continue for up to 18 hours after you complete your routine.
In the course of becoming fit and toning your body, it will begin to burn calories faster as a natural reaction. This is because when your body is getting fit you lose weight, more importantly fat and gain muscle tissue. Muscles are scientifically proven to burn more calories even when you are asleep!
Another benefit of cardiovascular exercises that it releases the so-called "feel-good" hormones called endorphins. Endorphins are your body's natural opiates, and they can also help ease depression.
That being said if you have spent a good amount of time living a sedentary lifestyle do not try to go for the gusto all at once. This can cause significant injury and will only set you back. Injuries must have time to heal and this will take time away from getting fit.
Before you start, make a visit to your doctor and make sure you're okay for vigorous physical activity. If your doctor gives you a clean bill of health, go ahead -- but again, DON'T go full steam ahead. Instead, start slowly by walking just 10 minutes at a moderate pace every day. If you can't do 10 minutes, five is fine. The idea here is to get started and keep going.
At about the two-week mark you will begin to notice something peculiar happening. You will all of a sudden have more energy, better sleep and fewer cravings for junk foods. Overall, you will simply feel better. One surprising effect will be when you notice your attitude and mood are much more positive.
As you continue, you're going to have to give yourself greater and greater challenges to make sure you keep your fitness level up. In other words, you should ALWAYS be breaking a sweat when you do cardio and you should always be breathing hard by the time you finish your workout. Opt for at least 20 minutes a day every day, at least five days a week.
Of course, once you embark on a good cardio program, you're only going to help yourself if you change your diet to so that you eat right, get enough sleep, drink enough water, and all those other good health changes, too. After all, once you start with cardio, you'll never want to look back.
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