Cardiovascular fitness is key to a healthy body and healthy mind. Also known as cardiorespiratory endurance, cardiovascular fitness is a type of muscular endurance that measures how efficient the heart, lungs and vascular system are at delivering oxygen to muscle tissue. To achieve greater cardiovascular fitness the heart must be strengthened and endurance increased. The heart is one of the many muscles we have in our body, and strengthening it requires exercise and conditioning. The cardiovascular system, or circulatory system, is fundamental in the functioning of each of the body's distinct organs. The heart is most important element in this system, yet cardiovascular fitness has a positive effect on your whole body. The increased blood flow that results from cardiovascular exercise benefits your brain and supplies your tissues with more oxygen-rich blood. It strengthens your lungs, lowers your blood pressure and is a great way of burning calories for people who need to lose weight. Cardiovascular fitness involves use of the large muscles, such as those in your legs. While outdoor activity is great, working out at health clubs gives you the advantage of access to a wide range of exercise equipment. Only as long as the weather cooperates can you run, jog, walk, bike, row, jump-rope, swim and ski outdoors, but health clubs give you year-round access to the exercises you love. Indoors you can do almost any of those activities using a treadmill, stationary bicycle, stairclimber, rowing machine, elliptical trainer, ladder climber and pool. What's ideal for one person might be different for the next depending on individual needs, preferences and abilities. Developing a cardiovascular fitness routine is a challenge for most people. Exercise needs to be a part of your weekly routine in order to provide you with significant benefits, and a great way of making sure you keep up with it is getting a workout partner or trainer. Knowing that someone else is relying on you is an excellent motivator when it comes to sticking to your personal fitness schedule. In order to obtain optimum benefits from your cardiovascular routine your heart rate should reach 60-80% of its maximum. To determine your maximum heart rate subtract your age from 220. For example, if you are 30 your maximum would be 190 beats per minute. Determine your current overall cardiovascular fitness by performing a simple test involving a 12-inch step (or stair) and a stopwatch. Step up and down for three minutes, alternating your feet and doing your best to complete 24 sets per minute. One set is an up and down step per foot. When you're done, sit down and take your pulse right away. Place your fingers lightly on the pulse point on your neck and count the number of beats for a period of 15 seconds. Multiply the number by four to obtain the number of beats per minute. The lower the number, the better your cardio fitness. A result lower than 97 is excellent, and up to 127 is good. Higher than 127 but equal to or lower than 142 is fair and 143-171 is poor. A number higher than 172 is very poor. If you have poor cardiovascular health you owe it to yourself to establish an exercise routine no matter how busy your schedule may be. And you'd be surprised how easy it is to improve your cardiovascular health. Just devote 20 minutes four or five times a week to cardiovascular fitness and start feeling great!
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Cardiovascular fitness measures how efficiently your heart delivers oxygen to muscle tissue. Cardiovascular exercise has a positive effect on the whole body and includes running, swimming and other activities that can be performed outdoors or at health clubs. Exercising with a partner or trainer can help you stick to your routine and your heart rate should reach 60-80% of its maximum while exercising in order to achieve optimal benefits. Determine your cardio fitness by performing a simple test ...
Terry Adams is a part-time writer, traveller, fitness fanatic, and advocate of gym membership
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