Cardio is another name for cardiovascular exercise. It can also be called aerobic exercise because it uses aerobic energy system to provide your muscles with energy, which means that oxygen is used continuously during this type of exercise. Effective cardio exercise will make you slightly out of breath and will give you the benefit of improved heart and lung function and better circulation. Regular cardio exercise can also help you maintain a healthy weight.
Use the Swimming Pool
The swimming pool has several opportunities for cardiovascular exercise. You can practice your strokes and refine your technique or do aqua aerobics classes. If you prefer running, you can use the pool to do aqua jogging by using a buoyancy belt around your waist. If you enjoy it, swimming is great exercise for fat burning and muscle toning. The front crawl is the fastest swimming stroke -- practice the whole stroke and then do legs only with a float to perfect your leg action. You should use long and fast kicks with your toes pointed and your knees bending slightly as you kick, advises the BBC.
Explore on Foot
Explore your local area on foot if you don't already. Running or walking on new trails can freshen up your exercise routine and can help to remind you why you started exercising in the first place. Find some hills to add some variety. Bruce Fordyce in his book "Marathon Runner's Handbook" suggests running with a partner to help to distract you from the exertion of hill running. This will help you to get the most from your running or walking. Enjoy the new scenery and see what you can find while you are exploring. If you are not a runner or you're not fit enough to run, walk or alternate periods of running and walking.
Go Cycling
Cycling is an effective form of cardiovascular exercise. It is low impact, so it is not as hard on your joints as running, but it is just as good for getting outside and raising your heart rate to improve your cardiovascular health.
Try a New Sport
Sports provide almost unlimited opportunity for cardiovascular exercise. Triathlon is a sport that combines swimming, cycling and running and you can start with a short distance triathlon if you are new to the sport. If you live near the mountains or somewhere with a suitable climate you could do winter sports. Skiing and snowboarding are both cardiovascular exercises. If you are not into skiing, ice skate or go hiking with snow shoes.
