I always say that people need to find an exercise they like and do it. This is really important because if you like it, you are more likely to do it consistently. Hopefully your favorite exercise is aerobic. If it is not, and you are interested in being healthy, then you have to buck up and do something aerobic anyway, whether you like it or not. The heart is a muscle and it needs exercise just like all of our other muscles. Our respiratory system benefits from aerobic exercise.
From the American Heart Association website:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer in America.
- Lack of physical activity is a risk factor for coronary heart disease.
An aerobic activity or what is now being called “cardio” is required for cardiorespiratory fitness. Cardiorespiratory fitness is the most important factor when it comes to living a long and high quality life. How well your lungs and heart function affects everything you do. The better your lungs and heart are at getting oxygen rich blood to the parts of your body that need it, the better you will feel and be able to move.
And according to Science News:
- Persons with higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness have a lower risk of all-cause death
And this post kind of ties in with my previous 30 Minutes Per Day post, but I am trying to emphasize getting your heart pumping. I also wanted to point out that doing so — getting your heart pumping — does not require jumping or impact of any kind. You can get your heart rate up by just bending down at the knees and coming back up fast enough and long enough to get your heart working. Impact is not required, but intensity is.
A lot of people don’t like to do “cardio” because it is boring or uncomfortable, but it does not have to be . . . again . . . find something you like. There is all kinds of stuff out there. If you are reading this and are wanting something new or different to try in the area of cardio and you want some ideas, contact me and we can do some brainstorming. There is something out there that you will love.
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