1127 Highway 35 Ocean Township, NJ 07712 | 147 Markham Place Little Silver, NJ 07739 A strong heart.
Healthy lungs.
Clear blood vessels that supply your large muscles with oxygen, 24/7.
What do they all have in common? Cardiovascular Endurance.
Of the 5 components of physical fitness, cardiovascular endurance is the most important because it gives you many health and wellness benefits. Even if you’re already at a healthy weight level for your height and age, it’s an essential part of maintaining your overall health.
Here are some of the other perks:
- Increased Life Span
- Reduced Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke
- Decreased risk of Diabetes
- Better Bone Health
- Reduced Chance of Metabolic Syndrome
- Promotes Weight Loss
To start building these benefits and more into your life, learn more about our NEW 21-Day Personal Training Program.
LEARN ABOUT THE 21-DAY PROGRAM
What Exercises Improve Cardiovascular Endurance?
Cardiovascular endurance is attained by performing cardio-respiratory exercise.
Activities like walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, aerobics, rowing, stair climbing, elliptical trainers, hiking, cross country skiing and many types of dancing are “pure” cardiovascular activities.
Sports such as soccer, basketball, pickleball, squash and tennis may also improve your cardiovascular endurance.
How Long & How Often Should I Perform Cardio-Respiratory Exercises?
Most studies show that cardiovascular training requires a minimum of 30 minutes, 3 times a week to guarantee increased cardiovascular endurance in about 8 to 12 weeks.
However, if you’re just starting out, you may improve your stamina with just 10-15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise several times per week working up to 30 minutes over time at your own pace.
Everyone progresses at a different pace — so take your time and let your body adjust.
The worst thing you can do is to perform too much exercise, too soon. Many people often end up getting injured from pushing too hard in a short amount of time.
After 8-12 weeks you might want to increase the amount of days you are performing cardiovascular exercise. The American Heart Association recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) of moderate to vigorous activity per week. Thirty minutes a day, five days a week is an easy goal to remember.
Some people will be able to do more. It’s important to set realistic goals based on your own health and abilities.
How Do I Determine Workout Intensity?
When first starting a cardiovascular endurance program, you will want to start easy and not worry about the intensity of the workouts until you are able to do a full 30 minutes.
Once you can exercise consistently for 30 minutes or more, it is time to focus on exercise intensity. Just taking an easy stroll on the treadmill will not challenge your cardiovascular system after a short period of time. Your body will adapt quickly and you will need to start working on increasing intensity.
You don’t have to train like a madman. You just have to push slightly harder.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has recommended exercise intensity zones based on your heart rate, which is how fast your heart beats per minute. Heart rate zones differ for beginners to advanced exercisers. You also have to consider a gradual warm up and a cool down afterward.
For a complete guide to Cardiovascular Endurance Training you can click here: ACSM Cardio Guidelines. There is a lot to consider when beginning a Cardiovascular Endurance Program, and you’ll want to make sure you get it right. Make it a point to follow the guidelines linked above.
There is a lot of information contained in there. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, let us help.
An experienced, certified personal trainer can help teach you how to begin a cardiovascular endurance program properly so that you get the best results in the shortest amount of time without getting injured.
Not Sure What to Do? We Can Help!
We are starting our NEW 21-Day Personal Training Program in Monmouth County, NJ. The Program, which will be hosted at our studios in Ocean Township and Little Silver, will give you in-depth training and experience each of the 5 components of physical fitness.
When it comes to Cardiovascular Endurance Training, we will teach you how to:
- Warm up and cool down properly
- Figure out your Heart Rate Zone
- Monitor your heart rate
- Judge how long and how often to workout
- Move from beginner to intermediate or advanced
- Set up a 24 week Cardiovascular Endurance Program
You will work with an educated, experienced personal trainer who will take you through a workout in each of the 5 components to make sure you thoroughly understand each one.
At the end of just 21 days, you’ll have a complete understanding of each component — and a balanced workout will be written for you to use on your own once the program is complete.