Thursday, August 20, 2009

How To Pump Up Your Metabolism With Cardio Exercise

By Ricardo d Argence

Cardio exercise it as necessary for overall health and fitness as anaerobic exercise (lifting weights) is. When you do cardio, you get your heart rate going and increase blood circulation throughout your body.

Basically cardiovascular exercise is something for the entire body in that you should work up a sweat, breathe a bit harder and get your heart rate jumping all at the same time, at least ideally.

One of the best benefits of cardiovascular exercise is that it exercises the most important muscle in your body, your heart. By getting your pulse rate up and keeping it there at a sustained rate for a period of time, you increase your overall fitness level and therefore your overall health.

Of course, you should check with your doctor before you begin any fitness program in case you have any contraindications whereby you shouldn't be participating in vigorous exercise.

However, one of the most commonly noted and popular benefits of doing cardiovascular exercise is that it burns off excess calories and can help you lose weight. It'll also give you an overall "toning" for your entire body.

The benefits of a cardio routine do not stop there! Not only will you burn extra calories during your workout but also you will continue to burn more calories when at rest. Recent studies suggest that this added burn can continue for up to 18 hours after you complete your routine.

As you are toning and making your body more fit overall, it burns calories faster just as a matter of course. That's because as you become more fit, you'll both lose fat and gain muscle, and muscle burns calories even when you are at rest -- all the time.

There seems to be no end to the good benefits of cardiovascular exercise as it can also be a depression buster. Exercise stimulates the release of a hormone called endorphins. These are your body�s natural opiates and are sometimes called the feel good hormone.

That being said if you have spent a good amount of time living a sedentary lifestyle do not try to go for the gusto all at once. This can cause significant injury and will only set you back. Injuries must have time to heal and this will take time away from getting fit.

Be sure that you visit your physician before you start a routine to be sure you are ready for vigorous activities. Even once you receive a green light from your doctor, you should not barge into a full-blown hour workout. The best thing you can do is start slow and small by taking a brisk ten-minute walk every day. Do not get discouraged if ten minutes is a bit much, five minutes is a good starting place as well. The main idea is to get moving and increase your exercise as you go.

At about the two-week mark you will begin to notice something peculiar happening. You will all of a sudden have more energy, better sleep and fewer cravings for junk foods. Overall, you will simply feel better. One surprising effect will be when you notice your attitude and mood are much more positive.

As you progress toward your fitness goals, you are going to have to increase your challenges to keep moving forward. Remember when you do a cardio workout you should always break a sweat and be breathing harder by the time it is over. Go for around 20 minutes per day at least five days per week.

If you want to really supercharge your progress with a cardio program, you might want to consider making a few other health related changes. Diet and exercise always go hand in hand but have you considered the importance of proper hydration, getting enough sleep and many other health related changes? The bottom line is once you have a good beginning on cardio you will never want to look back.

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