Cardio or cardiovascular exercise is necessary to keep your heart health, burn calories, and lose weight, if that is your goal. Cardio helps to improve your body’s health and fitness by keeping the heart and lungs healthy and improving blood circulation. There are many great benefits of doing these types of exercises. Combined with a healthy eating plan, you are on the right track to getting healthy and fit.
The benefits include:
Cardio increases the metabolism. Your metabolism has to do with the rate at which your body performs certain functions like using up energy or digesting food. A higher metabolic rate means that your body will perform these things faster. A slow metabolism is often one of the reasons why people gain weight. Cardio is great to increase the metabolism and lose or maintain weight.
Cardio improves your heart health. Your heart is a muscle and requires exercise just like any other muscle in your body. Doing cardio exercise increases the heart rate and gives the heart its much-needed workout. If you are out of breath just by walking up the stairs, your heart is in urgent need of some exercise.
Cardio improves your recovery ability. Doing exercise obviously takes a toll on your muscles and they get tired. When you exercise, certain by-products are released into your body. These by-products are the reason why your body gets stiff and sore after a good workout. Doing a few minutes of cardio after a strenuous lifting session can help bring more oxygen into the blood and reduce the stiffness. This means that you can get back into the gym faster.
Cardio helps with being happy. When you exercise, your body releases different hormones which include ‘feel-good’ hormones. This means that you are fighting depression, anxiety, and negativity while you exercise. People who regularly do cardio exercises have been proven to be happier and more positive than those who don’t.
Cardio exercise is very good for you. Whether you are strength training or want to lose weight, cardio should be part of your exercise routine.