How To Increase Your Cardio Endurance

By: Andrew Peacock
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:18:14
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

Increasing your cardiovascular endurance should be one of your key goals for your exercise sessions. When your cardiovascular system is performing well, your everyday tasks become even easier. The better your cardio capacity is, then you'll be able to work out longer and harder, and burn more calories in a shorter timescale. So how do you build your cardio endurance?

By far the best way to start is buy measuring your level of cardiovascular fitness. Use your fitness trainer or gym's professional testing equipment to measure your aerobic strength. If you don't have a personal fitness trainer, and don't work out in a gym, here’s a simple technique that can help you measure your cardio strength, followed by some tips for cardio toning.

Begin by standing with your arms resting at your sides, and your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a deep breath and begin walking, quite briskly, letting your arms swing gently. Do this for about two minutes, and then start doing jumping jacks, using both arms and legs. Do as many of these as possible three minutes, with no resting.

Then stand still and take your pulse. Your ideal pulse rate should be about 75-85% of your maximum heart rate (and to find this, subtract your age from 220). Remember that this is a very basic formula and can only give you a rough idea of your maximum and ideal heart rates. There are a range of devices available that can track your heart rate (and other measures) whilst you exercise. If you are serious about getting the very best cardio conditioning possible, you may want to purchase one of these .

If your heart rate was far above the upper ranges of 85%, you need to lower your activity level and start building more strength without placing so much stress on your body. But if your heart rate 75%, then your aerobic health is likely in good condition, and you should be OK to work harder. If your heart rate was within the 75-85% range, then you are at a comfortable stage with your aerobic capacity, and should work on increasing your activity just a bit, 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.

Here are some methods to increase your aerobic capacity:

Work Out For Longer

Simply by increasing your workout by quarter of an hour, you can burn up to one hundred additional calories. And you'll also increase your cardio capacity. It should take you about 3 weeks to notice a difference.

Use Your Arms As Well

If your main exercise is walking, jogging, or running, simply add arm movements to your routine. Try lifting your arms over above your head for two paces and then back down for two more. Yes, it may look funny but your heart rate will increase and so will your cardio capacity. This is an ideal trick for walkers, since the timing of their paces is slower, and so the movements are easier to integrate.

Visit http://www.fitnessequipmentlinks.com for more advice on improving your cardiovascular capacity

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Cardio category

  • Lunch Break Burn - By: Sandra Prior
    If you're keen to get fit but don't have the time, try this lunch-hour gym or park workout.
  • Blood Pressure Kit: Your Doctor At Home - By: Roberto Sedycias
    A blood pressure kit helps you keep an eye on your health and potentially saves your precious life. Read on to know more about it.
  • Are You Confused By The Enormous Number Of Blood Pressure Lowering Medications? - By: Donald Saunders
    We take a look at the large number of drugs which are presently used for treating high blood pressure.
  • Is Your Kid Heading for a Heart Attack? - By: Sandra Prior
    The combination of moderate elevations in several risk factors can put you at high risk for heart disease. Some risk factors you can’t do anything about are: growing older, being male, or having a family history of early heart disease.
  • High Carbs/Low Fat Diets and Cardio Vascular Disease - By: Dr. N. Rowan Richards
    For the past 20 years, the American public has been bombarded with the message: "Fat is bad!" As a result, our food supply is now inundated with "low fat" foods, engineered foods and foods processed to remove natural fats. In every instance, low fat foods are loaded with carbohydrates.
  • Weights Before Cardio: Stop Working Against Yourself - By: Tony Hale
    Just because you’re working hard, doesn’t mean that you’re working smart. I see it every day. People come into the gym and hop on a treadmill for 30-60 minutes and then head over to the weights to do their resistance training.
  • Fat Burning Secrets For Cardio Workouts - By: Gerald Gore
    Lets face it, most of us live pretty busy lives and the amount of time spent exercising does eat up what little free time a lot of us have. I don’t like to waste my free time anymore than anyone else so if I am going to use it up on an activity, I feel the rewards of the activity should out way the cost.That being said, one of the activities that I add to my workout routines is a cardio program.
  • The Exact Reason Why Cardio is Essential: Avoiding The Starvation Response - By: Nathan Latvitis
    Cardio, Calories, and the Starvation ResponseMost of the time, when someone decides that they want to lose fat, they inevitably head for the nearest fad diet. However, 95% (closer to 100%) of the time, these fad diets fail. The reason they fail is because exercise is rarely incorporated into the program.
  • Cardio or Weights First for Best Fat Burning? - By: Gina Paolino
    Exercise smarter, not harder for fat-burning. Cardio or weights first for best results? The answer is here!
  • Cardio for Rookies - By: Zach Bashore
    Weight training is an important aspect of the bodybuilding process, but what about the forgotten exercise commonly known as cardio. Cardio is just , if not more important than weight training itself and should be at the top of every trainee`s to-do list. In this article, I am going to give you a run down on the different types of cardio that can be done and the benefits of doing cardiovascular exercise.