Protecting your cardiovascular health, or in other words, looking after your heart, is the key to avoiding a host of problems. Everyone can benefit from some moderate-intensity exercise to get their heart rate going and boost their cardiovascular fitness. Part of managing that is having a regular exercise routine and knowing the best heart rate for cardio workout activities.
Here is an overview of the things you need to know about cardio and aerobic exercise, testing your heart rate, and finding simple but effective workouts you can do at home.
Like any muscle you train, your heart gets stronger when it beats faster during cardio workouts. It stays stronger even when it is resting, so your body is healthier all the time.
Good cholesterol helps the body keep bad cholesterol away from your heart, keeping the arteries clear and reducing your risk of heart attacks.
Blood vessels help your heart pump oxygen around your body to your muscles and brain. When they are stiff and restricted, you get aches, pains, and circulation problems. Cardio helps increase their flexibility and helps them feed your muscles more effectively.
Reaching your target heart rate when working out matters because it helps your body efficiently pump oxygen and burn fat. If you don’t push it hard enough, your muscles don’t get the energy they need to build strength and stay flexible, push too hard, and you could over-exert yourself.
Knowing where your ideal target heart rate zone lies and how to measure it helps you stay in better control of your physical activity and get more from your workouts. It can also make a difference if you are on a journey to try to lose weight, as you can ensure your body is working at the rate it needs to burn enough calories.
Your target zone for your heart rate depends on your age and how vigorous your workout plan is. The goal is to hit between 50 and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate- which you can find if you subtract your age from 220. When you are pushing for a harder workout, you can strive for a higher percentage between 70 and 85.
Take two fingers and press lightly on the artery in your wrist on the side where your thumb is.
Count your heartbeats using your pulse or heart rate for 30 seconds, and multiply the number by two. This gives you the beats per minute. Compare that to 220 minus your age (your maximum heart rate) and figure out the percentage. From there, you can see if you are in your target heart rate zone.
Here are 20 simple cardio workouts you can do without leaving the house or spending a fortune on gym equipment.
Start easy by standing with legs a bit apart and slowly lift one leg, bending your knee toward your abdomen. Hold it for a few seconds and repeat with the opposite leg.
These are great if you are looking for easy things to do when sitting down. You can sit or stand with your arms stretched out to the sides, then move in small circular motions toward the front for 10 seconds, then to the back.
Jogging in place is a great warm-up cardio activity to get your heart going and stretch your muscles. You can go at a pace that feels good for you and slowly build up until you reach your target heart rate.
Who needs a stairmaster when you have stairs? Going up and down the stairs is excellent exercise for your lower body, and if you are out of practice will have your heart rate climbing faster than you are!
Get down onto all fours with your arms and legs extended. One leg at a time, pull your knees to your chest in a running motion.
Start standing, crouch to the floor, put down your hands, and jump back with your legs. Then, reverse! Burpees can be tough, but they are very effective.
Perfect for the backyard, shuttle runs work your heart through short sprints. Start with a small distance and go gradually further.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and bring one knee at a time upward as far as you can. If you can, add a bit of a jump in between to make it more like O.T.T. jogging on the spot.
Get out of the house and go for a brisk walk around the block. It does wonders for the body and mind.
Take it up a notch with speed walking. Holding small weights as you go can add to the intensity.
Go back to elementary school with your trusty jump rope. This is an excellent intermediate-intensity workout that burns fat and elevates your heart rate quickly. If you don’t have a jump rope, do the motion without it.
Another fun throwback to childhood that does wonders for your cardiovascular fitness is hula hooping. Although you can do the motion without the hoop, it works better with one, and you can pick one up cheaply. Swing those hips, work your abdomen, and get the blood pumping.
Get a small stool (you can also use the bottom step) and step up and down one foot at a time. Speed it up if it feels too easy.
Drop into a squat, then spring up to a jump- landing back in the squat before pushing off again.
Jumping jacks can be as low or as high intensity as you want. They are great for working out your entire body and quickly increasing your heart rate at home.
Keep your hands on your hips with one leg forward. Bend your knee and lean forward, then push back up again.
Get into a fighting pose and quickly but powerfully shoot out your arms to punch the air.
Put on some music and let your body move to the beat! Dance until you feel your heartbeat rising, and try to continue for 10 minutes at full pace.
Move from side to side by dropping into a wide-legged squat and shifting your weight to one side as you come back up. Keep going until you reach the wall, then go back the other way.
Stand with legs apart and take turns touching each foot with the opposite hand.
Hit your target heart rate and stay fit from the comfort of your home with the 20 cardio-tastic exercises!
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