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| Health and Fitness Article |
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| We will post an article of the month on this page that will help you in your eating habits, exercise routines or just general well-being. We write all of our articles with help from journals, magazines and other valuable resources. We hope this month's article on cardiovascular exercise helps you! |
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| Cardiovascular Exercise: Good For the Heart! |
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Most of us know that exercising is good for us, and we know that we need to incorporate cardiovascular activities into our lifestyles continually to reap the benefits. But do we really know how it works for us? And what we should do to make it work for us? Most of us know that exercising is good for us, and we know that we need to incorporate cardiovascular activities into our lifestyles continually to reap the benefits. But do we really know how it works for us? And what we should do to make it work for us? |
| Cardiovascular endurance is also referred to as aerobic fitness and describes the ability of the cardiovascular system (heart, lungs, blood vessels) to deliver an adequate supply of oxygen to exercising muscles. By exercising, we train the heart to work efficiently to transport oxygen-rich blood throughout our bodies since most cells must be continuously supplied with oxygen or they will die. If a coronary artery forms a build up of cholesterol and fatty deposits, blood flow to that artery could cease which could lead to a heart attack. Cardiovascular exercise can help prevent this as well as reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol, prevent diabetes and many other positive responses. |
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| So what type of exercise is right for you? If you are completely sedentary, then any activity that you can weave into your daily lifestyle is acceptable and will give your body a welcome change. However, if you are already somewhat active and simply want to remain heart healthy, then incorporate some form of exercise most days of the week for 20-30 minutes. |
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| If you strive to increase the performance of your heart, which is already trained due to your hard work, then start incorporating more challenging activities into your sessions. Additionally, by monitoring your heart rate you will be able to determine if your intensity level is within a predetermined range, based on age and training zone. Because this information is very individualized, work with someone at your gym or recreation center; or a personal trainer can help you determine your intensity and recommended activities. As your heart adapts to your new training regime, you may need to adjust your activities in order to continue to improve. |
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| Having a healthy heart helps your entire body stay healthy. Stay on the right track by making it work efficiently and disease free. Happy exercising! |
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