It is an aerobic exercise that stimulates and strengthens the heart and lungs. It is an exercise good for cardiovascular health by reducing risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Burns calories and helps with weight loss. Boosts your mood as it releases the natural feel-good chemical and painkiller, endorphins. Helps you sleep better. Along with balance, flexibility, and strength training, cardiovascular activity is one of the four types of exercise you need to stay healthy. Also called endurance exercise or aerobic exercise, cardio is any activity that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for a prolonged period of time.

Here are some easy guidelines and examples of different kinds of cardiovascular exercise:

Moderate Intensity Cardio:

If you can talk but not sing during the activity, then you’re doing moderate-intensity exercise. Examples include [3]:

  • Brisk walking (3-4 mph)
  • Water aerobics
  • Heavy cleaning (mopping, vacuuming, washing windows)
  • Bicycling (slower than 10 mph on even terrain)
  • Tennis (doubles)
  • Ballroom dancing
  • General gardening, mowing lawn

Vigorous Intensity Cardio:

If you’re not able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath, then you’re doing vigorous-intensity exercise. Examples include [3,4]:

  • Race walking, jogging, or running
  • Swimming laps
  • Tennis (singles)
  • Aerobic dancing
  • Shoveling snow
  • Bicycling (10 mph or faster, may include hills)
  • Playing basketball
  • Playing soccer
  • Jumping rope
  • Carrying heavy loads
  • Heavy gardening (continuous digging or hoeing)
  • Hiking uphill or with a heavy backpack

 

Health Benefits of Cardio

Cardiovascular fitness delivers health benefits from head to toe. Read on to discover some cardio benefits you might not know about:

  • Increased Mood & Energy

Engaging in regular cardio exercise releases feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine, as well as endorphins that can improve mental well-being, promote relaxation, improve energy level, increase self-confidence, and help relieve stress.

  • Immune System Function

Regular cardio exercise may help your immune system. How? With moderate physical activity, inflammatory responses are decreased, and lymphocyte and immune cell circulation is increased, which can help activate your body’s immune response.

  • Enhanced Brain Health

Did you know that regular exercise can support your cognitive health? Physical exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which in turn supports cognitive function, as well as memory, attention, and executive processing. The good news is these positive effects are seen in both younger and older adults.

  • Maintaining A Healthy Weight

When paired with a nutritious, balanced diet, regular exercise in the form of aerobic activity can help you maintain a healthy weight, because you will burn more energy throughout the day than you would by being sedentary. For the most impact, aim for either a moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity.

  • Supports Your Heart Health

You probably can feel that when you exercise, your heart beats faster. So, what does this mean for your heart? An increased heart rate increases your breathing, which increases the oxygen in your blood. Your blood vessels widen so they can carry more blood to your muscles and then back to your lungs. Thus, cardio activity helps your heart pump blood more efficiently, enhancing blood circulation throughout the body. That’s good news for your heart.

  • Improved Sleep

Because physical activity helps promote relaxation, it can also improve the quality of your sleep—both in its ability to help you doze off quicker and sleep more soundly. Combine a regular exercise routine with good sleep habits to improve your sleep even more. Tip: Don’t work out too close to bedtime (within two hours of going to sleep), as this can make it harder to fall asleep.