Commonly called cardio, cardiovascular exercise is, in basic terms, exercise related to your heart and vascular system, or the system of veins and arteries that supply blood to you body. Cardiovascular exercise works to improve these systems and is a very common form of exercise. You should consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise is that which helps to improve your cardiovascular fitness. As you exercise, your muscles require increased supplies of oxygen to help fuel their activity, the American Sports Medicine Institute explains. This results in an increased effort by your heart as well as your entire respiratory system. Cardiovascular exercise includes any activities which raise your heart rate to a moderate level of intensity for sustained periods of time, often 20 minutes or more. Common cardiovascular exercises are bicycling, jogging and swimming.
Benefits
Cardiovascular exercise is one of the best ways to improve your heart health. Increased cardiovascular fitness leads to reduced risk of heart disease, coronary problems and angina, as well as increased respiratory endurance and blood circulation. Indirectly, activities which increase cardiovascular fitness often contribute to improved muscle strength, flexibility, weight loss and overall injury prevention through the strengthening of joints and bones.
Target Heart Rate
Your target heart is your best guide to cardiovascular exercise. Target heart rate is technically a range of heart rate values that correlate with your optimal workout intensity. Exercising in your target heart rate range is an excellent way to improve your cardiovascular fitness. Your target heart range is equivalent to 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Men should subtract their age from 220 to find their maximum heart rate. Women should subtract 88 percent of their age from 206 to find their maximum heart rate, the ScienceDaily website explains.
Interval Training
Interval training is the process of varying your heart rate throughout the course of your workout --- for example, sprinting for one minute after every 5 minutes jogging. Interval training is an excellent way to improve your cardiovascular fitness quickly, the "New York Times" reports, by providing a more dynamic workout regimen. You can use the boundaries established by your target heart rate to help regulate your interval training, moving between the upper and lower boundaries.
