Cardio is short for cardiovascular, which refers to the heart. Cardiovascular exercise is exercise that raises your heart rate and keeps it elevated for a period of time. The kinds of exercise that are associated with cardiovascular workouts are things like jogging, fast walking, and swimming where there is no break in the routine. Exercises that stop and start, like Pilates, are generally not considered cardio exercise, though Pilates can be done in a cardio way, and can certainly be combined with cardio workouts to great effect.
One of the cheapest, easily available ways of doing cardio exercises is jogging.
Apart from aiding weight loss, there are many health benefits to jogging. For example, it was shown in one study that individuals who ran more than 50 miles per week had significantly greater incrases in HDL cholesterol (the good fat) and significantly greater decreases in body fat, triglyceride levels, and te risk of coronary heart disease than individuals who ran less than 10 miles per week. In addition, long distance runners had a nearly 50% reduction in high blodd pressure and more than a 50% reduction in the use of medications to lower blood pressure and plasma cholesterol levels.
Besides the known health benefits, jogging can also result in better skin, a better glow. Also, in most cases, “perpetual perspiration” = less pimples or at least perspiring from exercise does that. Running also helps you ‘wake up’ other parts of your body. You will be more alert and aware of your surroundings. Without exercise, you would probably have been sleep walking through your entire life.
Besides health benefits, one also gets a sense of accomplishment, and naturally, self confidence. After dragging yourself out of bed and completing those rounds, having a good sweat, don’t you feel good about yourself?
How do I get started on jogging?Get a good pair of shoes, one that will lessen the impact on your feet when you hit the ground. A comfortable attire of shorts and tee shirt should be a good combination to go jogging in. You could spend good money and buy a good sports tee and shorts, and this would motivate you to jog more, because you know you look good in that attire. However, if you do not want to spend, any good pair of shorts and tee would be good.
Here's an interval plan that will get you started.
1. Select the amount of time that you plan to jog/run for, let's say, 30 minutes.
2. Start with a five-minute brisk walk to warm up.
3. When you feel ready, start to jog. If you get out of breath, slow down and keep jogging, or walk again until you catch your breath. This could take one to two minutes.
4. Once you've caught your breath, go ahead and jog again until you feel you've had enough. At that point, walk again.
5. Repeat this series of walking/jogging intervals for 30 minutes, or whatever duration you select.
Personally, I grab my ipod, fill it with great fast tracks and start jogging two rounds around my estate. It may be hard at first, but you can try to give yourself incentives. Such as rewarding yourself, with wearing your favourite piece of clothing, after you finish your jog.
The treadmill is a good option. It helps you regulate your speed and measures how many calories you are losing. This is a wonderful choice because you are then inspired to work harder on the treadmill. Knowing how much you are losing helps you gauge how much effort you are putting into running Using the treadmill is also great for people lazy to go out. You also will not be subjected to the mercy of weather.
However, the downside is, you do not get to see the scenery as you would in an outside environment. The scenery you get on a treadmill is pretty much the same.
If you are using a treadmill, steadily increase your speed while jogging. Start at a slow but docile speed. I would suggest a starting speed of 5.5 mph, before slowly increasing the speed. How fast to go later on, really depends on the individual.
It is good to push yourself, but do not increase to a speed that you cannot manage. If you find yourself having difficulty breathing, it is probably a sign to slow down. Jogging a good 15-20 minutes thrice a week should be sufficient in aiding a healthy lifestyle.
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