Here’s a basic physiology lesson: cardio exercise, in whatever form, is undertaken to get your heart beating faster. This draws more oxygen into the lungs for the heart to pump oxygenated blood around the body reaching each organ and cell of your body. Deoxygenated blood is then expelled via the heart, lungs and mouth/nose. Through exercise, the heart becomes stronger and more resilient to deal with life’s excesses and stresses placed upon it.
Ideally, most people need 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of vigorous intensity exercise a week or 300 minutes of moderate intensity a week (5 hours). A half-hour or an hour a day over 5 days can meet this target. You could even break these up into 10 minute blocks to achieve your goal.
Here are some examples of cardio exercises for you to explore on your own:
Indoor:
– Walk up and down the stairs a few times–make it harder by taking them two at a time.
– Do some jogging on the spot (even while watching your favourite show).
– Combine a series of exercises like star jumps, squat jumps, mountain climbs, burpees, or butt kicks.
Outdoor:
– Walking.
– Jogging.
– Sprinting.
None of the above require any special equipment, so there is no excuse not to try them out!
Go ahead and research all the different forms of cardio exercise, find one or several that grab your attention and then give them a go.
Graham Nicholls is an accredited fitness instructor and founder of HMB&S Fitness for All Ltd.