“A happy heart is a healthy heart!”
Many of us take the heart and its health for granted. However, in reality, you literally need to ensure that you have full control over your diet and maintain a lifestyle that keeps your heart healthy. Today, it has become pretty difficult to maintain a proper lifestyle that would keep your body healthy and fit. People are working high-demand jobs, doing overtime and ignoring their health.
Do you get tired just sitting in one place and doing the mundane ordeals every single day staring at your computer screen? Do your shoulders hurt in the evening and you feel physical pressure on them? The answer might be yes for most of you because you have been following the same routine from a long time and your body now needs healthy food and lifestyle changes that will reduce your stress, mentally and physically.
We often ignore the hints that our body give us in the form of chest pain, back pain, stress, anxiety, shoulder pain, swollen feet and even the mild stomach aches, which could potentially lead to some critical ailments. To lead a healthy lifestyle, you need to constantly choose healthy food over greasy food items which could affect the metabolism rate of your body, increase fat or cholesterol or even give you insomnia. There are basically 2 kinds of people, one who work-out, irrespective of their age or any other factor and second, who find excuses to run away from exercises and balanced diets. When you see a 50-year-old man with six-pack abs on the cover of a magazine, it is not an overnight success story. It literally takes years of constant exercise and a healthy diet to have that glow even at such an age.
For those who believe that living a healthy life is an extravagant investment, there are some amazing frugal ways by which you can lead a healthy lifestyle. For example, you can make your own diet plan including green vegetables, beans, fruits and do some effective home exercises rather than buying a subscription to the gym. All you need is the motivation and willpower to do regular exercises and eat healthy food.
The human body has thousands of blood vessels which are interconnected to each other and to different organs, supplying blood back and forth from the heart. A healthy heart can make you live longer only if you take appropriate measures. One way of maintaining a healthy heart and body is cardiovascular exercise. Cardiovascular exercises are exercises that increase your heart rate and maintain your metabolism levels.
Many people suffer from heart strokes, attacks, blockages and often a stunt or a pacemaker is placed to keep it functioning as a regular heart. These are some serious diseases that could end your life at once. This is exactly why you should take the requisite steps to keep your heart in a healthy condition. Keeping your heart healthy is not a whistle-stop game. It takes time, efforts and a strong determination to regularly practice a healthy diet and do regular exercise.
A strong cardiovascular system enables blood capillaries to supply more oxygen to the bloodstream, thereby increasing fitness levels and burning down the body fat. Heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and obesity are the most common diseases found in adults in the age group of 22-55.
Cardiovascular exercises are a great way to not only maintain a healthy heart but also a fit and toned body. If done properly, exercises can make you feel more confident and happy.
Aerobic exercises can help you lower your cholesterol, decrease the risk of diabetes, maintain your blood pressure levels, and improve your immunity system. You should regularly exercise to strengthen the body and improve the heart’s capacity to pump blood to your lungs and throughout the body.
The more you exercise and work out, the more fat your body will burn. There are two ways in which you can set your workout regime that will ensure a fit body:
You can still enjoy some cheat days on weekends; have a slice of pizza, a cheeseburger and a coke. But, remember to not let your cravings crush trump the hard work that you have put in through the week to get in shape.
Let’s have a look at the top benefits of doing cardiovascular exercises:
Obesity is not just a disease. It is, in fact, the root cause of many other diseases like thyroid disorders, heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes and even cancer. Doing regular cardio can help you get rid of the fat you have beneath your chest and around the waist, which will, in turn, decrease the chances of you becoming obese.
Doing cardiovascular exercises regularly helps you shed the extra fat by burning calories in your body, whenever you are running, jogging or doing some cardio in the gym. When you exercise, you sweat, which is a superb way of losing weight quickly as it melts down the body fat. People spend so much on weight loss programs that rarely do they realise that there are some economical ways to do it at home all by themselves.
The heart is responsible for maintaining the blood flow in our body and lungs by continually supplying oxygen to the bloodstream. Cardio can be started on a super small level for as less as just 5-10 minutes a day and can, later on, be extended to 30-40 minutes.
Begin with a warm-up of 5-10 minutes and gradually increase the intensity of the workout. This will keep the muscles of your heart healthy and keep your lung tissues active and breathing. Regular movement of the body helps your organs undergo some stress which pushes them to work in a better way.
Yes, vitamin-D and calcium are essential in maintaining healthy and strong bones but popping in pills to maintain your calcium and vitamin levels is not a good idea. Instead, you should focus on increasing your bone density naturally by working out regularly. Cardio exercises strengthen your bones and increase their power to work, and function for longer periods. Older people struggle with osteoporosis, arthritis, and other knee problems due to deficiency of calcium and lack of proper movement.
Cardio exercises are rather useful in helping build your body strength and capacity. Your bones are at their strongest between the ages of 17-25. If you ignore working out in this time span, you might suffer in your old age. Increased bone density helps in reducing the risk of fractures and diseases like osteoporosis, which occurs due to the weakening of bones in old age.
Also, try to have a greater intake of calcium through organic food items like milk, cheese, yoghurt, almonds, brazil nuts, fish and tofu. Lessen your consumption of caffeine, alcohol and soft drinks.
Cardio reduces stress, anxiety and prevents depression from creeping in your life. Dealing with stress has become like an everyday task for people. They struggle with financial issues, personal problems, arguments with peers at the office and so much more. Jobs these days have become so tiring that a normal adult hardly gets time to focus on their body or mind.
A healthy body can help you live a disease-free life, but what if your mind isn’t healthy? Will it affect your body?
Often people go and hit the gym right after their office to release their stress. Regular exercises prevent tension from building up, thereby reducing the chances of having panic attacks or sleep deprivation.
Cardiovascular exercises also reduce the risk of heart disease by maintaining the blood flow, blood pressure, cholesterol, saturated fats, refined sugar, oxygen levels at desirable levels. Proper precautions must be taken to avoid any disease that could damage your body completely or cost your life.
Usually, people in their 30s are more prone to having heart diseases than the younger generation. This is because of the high-stress levels at workplaces, unhealthy food, odd meal timings and lack of physical activity. Introduce foods that have a low sugar and fat content in your diet to reduce the risk of having heart diseases.
Another major ailment that can be prevented by regularly exercising and following a healthy regime is Cancer. It is caused due to gene mutations which take place due to smoking, exposure to radiations, chronic inflammation, obesity, and lack of exercise. It can happen to anyone at any point in time in their life and there is no definite way to cure it till date. This is the reason why doctors suggest people work out on a regular basis so that they can at least prevent the disease from affecting them. Often times it is said that prevention is better than cure. In the case of cancer, it turns out to be the most factually correct medical advice.
Cardio exercises keep your body in a healthy and active state. It stabilizes changing hormones, detoxifies the system, thus increasing your body's immunity to fight back viruses that might cause severe conditions like cancer.
Depression and anxiety go hand in hand. They are caused due to lack of sleep, hypertension, and mental stress. Medicines work better for bodily diseases as compared to mental stress. To have a healthy mind which is free from mental stress, you need to do some really simple activities like going for a walk, doing yoga and meditation, jogging early in the morning or developing a hobby which eases your stress, such as, dancing, painting or writing.
Often, anxiety attacks and depression can cause suicidal tendencies and incite rebellious actions in teenagers. Cardio is a great way to remain active and be engaged, helping you focus your mind in one place. Exercising early in the morning can replenish your body and mind.
With ageing, diseases crop up faster, and for those who lead an inactive lifestyle, it can even hit them at a young age. Therefore, it is necessary to inculcate healthy habits in children at a young age and teach them about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
It will not only protect them from various infections and diseases but also help them stay active, leading a happy life even as they age. Apart from regular exercises, teach your kids to have healthy food like fresh fruits, green vegetables, and juices.
Pro tip: If you teach your kid the importance of a healthy lifestyle from the beginning, they will definitely focus on it and not ignore even the slightest symptoms of any disease.
However, if you don't educate them on the kind of damage junk food or an inactive lifestyle can cause, they will have a hard time adapting to the exercise regime.
When you exercise, your body heats up. It causes the body to produce sweat and burn calories and at the same time resulting in the body releasing hormones which are good for sleep. A sound sleep of 7-8 hours is sufficient for an adult to relax their body and calm their mind. It is highly advised to put your gadgets away before you sleep because the radiations are harmful and it disturbs the mind, not letting it rest.
Insomnia is caused due to lack of mental peace. If you constantly worry about something, it is surely going to cause complications while sleeping. Cardio exercises freshen up the body and mind altogether by decreasing mental stress levels and increasing hormones. Many researchers have found that those who work out regularly have a better and sound sleep as compared to those who do not work out. Sleeping also relaxes the mind and body, which is a great way to reduce stress and mental pressure.
Exercising regularly keeps your body fully energized. It boosts your confidence and gives you the motivation to work harder and achieve greater things in life. How you look at things literally shapes your life. A healthy mind makes better decisions than a stressed and depressed one. If you are stressed, there will be hardly any energy or motivation to work leading to you feeling deprived of energy. This, in turn, can cause dizziness, nausea, fatigue and emotional strain. If you remain joyous and happy, you will be able to lead a better life.
We could go on and on with the benefits of doing cardio exercises but we thought of putting together a comprehensive list of the top few benefits of cardiovascular exercises. Hope that you had a little motivation after reading about the benefits of cardio exercises. Below we have jotted down the easiest, yet the most effective types of cardio exercises.
You can have a hale and healthy heart with some amazing yet simple exercises. Don’t worry, we are not going to teach you how to accommodate the best-priced protein powders or steroid injections that could fit your budget in your exercise regime. In fact, we have listed some of the basic and most efficient physical exercises that you could practice every day at your home. You might even be doing some of these on a daily basis without even knowing about it and this is the best part of cardio exercises.
Let us have a look at the best types of cardiovascular exercises that could improve your heart and help it stay healthy:
Calories burned per hour: 300-400 Brisk walking is a form of walking which can be measured by the number of steps that you take in a minute. It varies from person to person. For some people, it can be slow and for others, it can be fast. You can track your footsteps with fitness apps that are widely available on the internet these days. These even measure your heartbeat and speed, telling you the calories you burned.
Calories burned per hour: 300-400 It is the most effective way to boost your cardiovascular system and get rid of the body fat quickly. Start with brisk walking initially and then you can switch to jogging and running. If you run for 20 minutes every day, your muscles will strengthen. It will also increase your heart's capacity to circulate blood in a more efficient way.
Calories burned per hour: Around 600 Cycling is an evergreen cardio exercise that a lot of people do. It increases muscle strength and flexibility, improves joint mobility, decreases stress levels, strengthens bones, improves posture and coordination, and decreases fat levels. You can start cycling for 3 kms every day in the beginning and gradually increase it as per your body strength. However, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to bicycling.
Calories burned per hour: Around 840 Rowing needs a specific equipment which is usually present in a gym. However, if you can buy one for yourself to use at home, it will be just as beneficial. It mainly works on the upper body, giving strength to your back and it also shreds the body fat around your stomach. As a result, you will be able to see abs appearing on your stomach after regularly working out. Also, it helps build stronger abdominal muscles and makes your waist area work very hard.
Calories burned per hour: Around 600 Swimming keeps your heart rate up and builds endurance and muscle strength. It also helps teenagers grow taller since it stretches the body. Swimming regularly for 20 minutes is enough for an adult. You can take regular breaks in between, and once you are comfortable with your 20-minute stretch, you can push it to 30 minutes and more. Swimming thrice a week is sufficient to stay fit.
Calories burned per hour: Over 1000 It is one of the most fun and effective cardio exercises. You can start off with doing three sessions of 10 minutes each. If you do this for 30 minutes, you can burn around 480 calories. Jumping a rope for 10 minutes is almost the same as running a mile in under 8 minutes.
Cardio workouts are great. From hitting the gym or going for a run early in the morning, everything can get you a step closer to a fitter and healthier body. Apart from focusing on physical workouts, you also need to take care of your diet. Ensure that you chalk out a diet plan which is healthy for you and suits your body., given that body type, shape and size varies from one person to another. Not every exercise regime or diet plan could equally benefit every human being.
It is highly advisable that you do these cardio exercises under the guidance of a fitness trainer who is well aware of your physical health. If you have any history of medical problems, you should consult your doctor before trying out the aforementioned cardio exercises. The extent up to which you should do your cardio also depends on your age and body shape.
Also, if you have any cardio related issues and are on medication, it is highly advised that you ask your doctor before even hitting the gym. Many people tend to stress themselves over fitness and that also results invariably in terrible consequences. Do what your body can take. If you have allergies from any food item, you must avoid it.
Your friend might be able to complete three rounds of swimming while you might be able to do only one. Understand that every being has a different level of stamina and capacity to work.
Disclaimer: The tips & suggested are the personal opinions of the writer. Kindly consult a licensed physician/dietitian/practitioner before implementing the same.
