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eLearning Series:
Your Most Popular Exercise & Fitness Questions
Learn the right way to get into
shape...
( 50 articles
in this series )
How
To Build Your Cardio Strength
Building
cardiovascular strength and endurance should be a primary
goal for all exercisers. When your cardiovascular
system is toned and in good health, even the simplest everyday
task becomes easier. The greater your aerobic capacity, the
longer and harder you can work out, burning more and more calories.
So how do you build this precious commodity and even your fitness
odds?
The best way to begin is by assessing your current level of
cardiovascular fitness. If you have a personal trainer, he
or she can use professional testing equipment to determine
the extent of your aerobic strength. For the rest of us without
the benefit of personal trainers, here’s a simple routine that
help you identify your level of strength followed by some tips
for cardio toning.
Begin
by standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart and
your arms resting comfortably at your sides. Take a deep
breath and begin walking briskly, swinging your arms gently.
Continue this warm-up for about two minutes and then begin
performing jumping jacks. Use both the arms and legs. Perform
as many jumping jacks as possible for three minutes without
resting. At the end of three minutes, stop movement and take
your pulse. Your ideal heart rate should be about 75-85% of
your maximum heart rate. A very basic method of finding your
MHR is to subtract your age from 220. If you are thirty-two
years old, subtract 32 from 220. This equals 188. Seventy-five
to eighty-five percent of 188 equal 144 to 160; thus your ideal
heart rate for maximum cardiovascular conditioning is 144-160
beats per minute for a thirty-two-year-old adult. Remember
that this is only a very basic formula and can only give you
a general range. There are personal electronics available now
that track your vital statistics as you exercise and have a
digital screen to keep you aware of your body. You may want
to consider investing in one of these tools if you are serious
about getting the very best cardio conditioning possible.
Back to the MHR: if your heart rate was wildly above the upper
ranges of 85%, you need to scale back your activity and work
on building more strength without placing so much stress on
the body. On the other hand, if your MHR was below 75%, that’s
a good indication your aerobic health is in good condition
and you have a green light to work harder. Having a
heart rate that’s solidly within the seventy-five to eighty-five
percent
range indicates that you are at a comfortable stage with your
aerobic strength and can increase activity slightly to build
more capacity. Always remember, though, if you feel lightheaded
or dizzy during a workout, stop moving immediately and rest
until you feel better.
Building Aerobic Capacity through Exercise
These are simple routines to condition the cardiovascular
system and increase your aerobic capacity without depending
on complicated equipment or attending a gym class five times
a week. Go with whatever method appeals most to you and you’ll
be much more likely to stick with it and build greater strength.
Lengthen Your Workouts
This is a simple trick that many people underestimate. By
increasing your workout by fifteen minutes you can burn up
to one hundred additional calories and give your metabolism
a stronger boost as well as require your cardiovascular system
to hang in there longer and increase capacity. If your typical
workout lasts about thirty minutes, increase it to forty-five
minutes three times per week. You should start to notice a
difference within three weeks. Adding more time to every workout
will bring results faster.
Get Wet to Build Strength
Swimming is one of the least appreciated workouts today. Few
people understand exactly how challenging an underwater workout
can be. Swimming requires you to learn how to pace your breathing
and rely on your aerobic capacity to support you when you are
underwater and cannot take a breath. Since the water supports
your weight and makes you more buoyant, you are able to work
more of your muscles, thus requiring more air to drive your
system. Start doing one swimming workout of thirty minutes
twice weekly and you will feel a difference in less than three
weeks. Most people are truly amazed at the changes in their
bodies and breathing capacity when they add swimming as a regular
workout.
Use the Arms to Increase Lung Power
If you are a dedicated walker or runner, this is one of the
simplest changes you can make to your regular program and it
doesn’t even require equipment or special locations. Simply
add arm movements as you move your legs. This works best for
walkers, who move at a slower pace than runners and can more
easily incorporate arm motions into the walk. Try raising your
arms over your head for two beats and then back down. It may
look funny but your heart rate will increase and start building
the capacity in your lungs.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2005
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