Cardio 101: Three Key Things You Need to Know

What exactly is a cardio workout – and how do you know if your getting a good one?

Most people probably know “cardio” is when you get your heart rate elevated for a certain period of time through exercising.

Cardio, which is short for cardiovascular, is also known as aerobic exercise. But when quizzed on the subject, many people don’t know exactly how long, or how hard they should push themselves to get a good cardio workout.

I’m going to tell you today with my “Cardio Workout 101″ lesson, which will explain three key things you need to know about aerobic exercise.

1. What are the best ways to get a cardio workout?

One of the most basic, effective ways to exercise is to do what’s called a cardio workout. The most basic cardio workouts are brisk walking or jogging. For people who are in excellent shape, they need to elevate their exercise level more to push themselves sufficiently.

Machines such as treadmills and ellipticals are great to get cardio workouts on. Countless other activities can push you to get aerobic workouts, such as swimming, hiking or playing tennis.

Activities that emphasize strength and stretching, such as Pilates and Yoga, are not generally considered cardio exercise, but that’s not to say you can’t get aerobic benefit from them.

2. What are the benefits of cardio workouts?

There are countless health benefits to performing aerobic exercises, but here are some of the biggest ones:

* It strengthens your heart
* It strengthens lungs and increases lung capacity
* It elevates the metabolism, burns calories, and helps you lose weight
* It helps reduce stress
* It increases energy
* It helps you sleep better

3. How high should your heart rate be to get a good cardio workout – and how long should you keep it there?

First of all, if you don’t have a heart monitor or a clock to monitor your workout, remember this rule of thumb: When doing cardio exercises within a healthy level you should be able to talk during it. If you are too winded to talk, you most likely need to slow down a bit.

To calculate more exact figures, first figure out your maximum heart rate (beats per minute). To get this key number, subtract your age from 220 for men and 226 for women.

With this number in mind, doctors and trainers say you should exercise at 50-75 percent of that maximum number for BPM. The better your fitness level, the closer to 75 percent you can push it. For a sample calculation of a 40-year-old man, 220-40 (his age) comes out to a maximum heart rate of 180 beats per minute.

To be within the 50 percent range, 180 x.50 comes out to a rate of 90 BPM. A heart rate monitor can help you figure this out, or you can have someone take your pulse.

Now, for the million dollar question… how long should you keep your heart rate up when doing a cardio workout?

The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity five days per week, or at least 20 minutes of vigorous activity three days per week.

If you are out of shape, overweight or have other health issues, it may be difficult to reach these minimum levels. Any cardio exercise is beneficial and you should improve over time.

Make sure to consult a doctor before beginning any new workout program.

Now that you may have a better idea of the basics of getting a cardio workout, go out there and get moving. Your body will thank you in the long run.