Cardio Guidelines

Important Guidelines for a Cardiovascular Workout

A good cardio workout uses an aerobic metabolic process to access your fuel. In other words, part of the fuel is obtained by using fat combined with oxygen to create energy. This not only burns fat but provides a strong workout for your cardiovascular system. For more information on the cardiovascular system go to http://www2.austincc.edu/shopland/heart_files/frame.htm

Warm Up: Always warm up with some sort of moderate exercise such as walking, rowing, stepping slowly, etc, and then after 3-5 minutes, stretch out.

Heart Rate: Get your heart rate up to 60-80% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age) for at least 20 minutes.

Cool Down: In the last five minutes of your workout, you should gradually decrease intensity and range of motion until your heart rate is below 120 beats per minute.

Stretch: Don't skip the stretch. This is the time when you can not only prevent post-workout soreness but increase your flexibility by holding your stretches for at least 20-30 seconds.

Different Types of Aerobic Activities