Quick Tips
February 2008 - Cardio ExerciseYour heart is the most important muscle in your body. Your heart pumps blood. That blood has oxygen and nutrients in it that are vital for the health of your entire body. To keep your heart in good shape you need to exercise it.
If you have been inactive for a long time, then walking is a great way to start exercising your heart. Walking can be done almost anywhere. If the weather is bad an indoor track or mall can be a substitute for the great outdoors.
There are many other ways to get cardio exercise. Hiking, inline skating (always use proper protective gear) jogging, sprinting, cross-country skiing and biking are other examples. If you have problems with your joints find a low impact activity. A great low impact exercise is rebounding. Check out my services page for more information on rebounding.
If you want good general fitness your activity should bring up your heart rate to a level that you could still carry on a conversation with someone while doing it. You don’t need to be out of breath to derive the benefits of cardio exercise, especially if you are just beginning. Build up slowly. Start with five minutes and build up over the course of weeks to thirty minutes 5-7 times a week. It is very important to find an activity that you enjoy. If you enjoy it you will stick with it. If you remain consistent you will see improvements with weight loss and conditioning.
