There are many different reasons why people embark on a fitness journey, and improving cardio fitness is a common one…But what exactly is cardio fitness and what are the benefits of improving it?
Exercising for Cardio Fitness
The term cardio fitness refers to how efficient your cardiovascular system is, basically how well your heart, lungs, and other organs are using oxygen to keep your body moving. The most obvious measure of your cardio fitness is how quickly you get “puffed out” when undertaking any type of activity.
If you can run up a flight of stairs with relative ease or carry on a conversation while jogging on a treadmill,
you are likely to have a high level of cardio fitness!
On the other hand, if you need to catch your breath after the short walk from your desk to the coffee machine, your cardio fitness could use some work!
Your cardiovascular system also works with your respiratory and skeletal systems, and your overall fitness is defined by the health of each of these systems and how well they work together.
Improving your cardio fitness has many benefits including improving heart health and lowering blood pressure. It can also help reduce chronic pain and asthma symptoms, improve sleep, boost your mood, strengthen the immune system, and help regulate weight.
You can measure your cardio fitness using a range of standardised tests or with a heart rate monitor, fitness band or smartwatch. Alternatively, you can estimate your cardio fitness by paying attention to how various levels of exertion make you feel and rating your perceived effort on a scale of 1 to 10.
To improve your cardio fitness, it is recommended that you work within the cardio zone of 50% to 70% of your maximum heart rate for at least 10 minutes at a time, for a total of 150 minutes per week. These workouts should be spread consistently across the week for maximum benefit. Exercising within this zone improves your body’s ability to transport oxygen and conditions your heart.
Brisk walking or easy jogging on a treadmill or moderate intensity cycling on a stationary bike are ideal moderate-intensity cardio exercises which will help you maintain your heart rate within the cardio zone for the desired length of time.
You may also like to incorporate some short bursts of intense activity into your routine, shifting into the high-intensity zone of 70% to 85% of your maximum heart rate to burn more calories and increase your cardio fitness more rapidly. Short bursts of running on the treadmill or rapid cycling on a stationary bike will push you into this zone.
If you are a complete beginner, consider starting with low-intensity cardio and gradually building up to a mix of moderate and high-intensity cardio exercises, to build exercise tolerance and get your body used to regular activity.
BeFit Hire offers a broad variety of home fitness equipment for hire, to help you improve your cardio fitness. Our range of equipment includes treadmills, manual and programmable cross-trainers, upright and recumbent exercise bikes, and rowing machines. Please get in touch to discuss hiring the right equipment to help you achieve your fitness goals.
As a family business operating for more than 50 years, BeFit Hire prides itself on offering the highest standard of customer service, with free metro delivery available to most of metro Adelaide and Melbourne for most hire periods.
Our BeFit Hire agents test, clean, and disinfect every single piece of BeFit Hire equipment prior to delivery. We also have contactless delivery available if you are involuntary or medically directed self-isolation or quarantine. Please get in touch with your local agent today.
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