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The Importance of Aerobic Exercise

When going to the gym, it’s important to include a diverse exercise routine in every session.  This can include everything from weight training, stretching, mobility exercises, and cardiovascular training.  Many people have the misconception that aerobic exercise (cardio) is only for those who are trying to lose weight. As a result, many neglect this type of training and focus solely on weight lifting.  Weight training is equally as important as cardio training and it’s very important to include both types of training into your workout routine.

Why should I include cardio into my routine?

Cardio is not just for those who are trying to lose weight.  Yes, cardio does help burn a lot of calories and aid in weight loss. However, it also has many more benefits than just that.  Every person should do their best to include moderate amounts of cardio in their routine each week.  Along with the benefit of weight loss, cardio has many positive impacts on the body. It improves cardiovascular health and lowers the risk of heart disease. It allows our heart to work more efficiently and pump blood through the body at a healthier rate throughout the day.  Cardio training can also help lower blood pressure by clearing the arteries of bad cholesterol and raising levels of good cholesterol in our blood.

Cardio exercise can help decrease chronic pain.  Especially in low-impact exercises such as swimming and cycling, these exercises can help you regain muscle endurance and function.  Since cardio can help you lose and manage your weight, that can also help you to decrease chronic pain in areas such as the lower back, neck and shoulders.  Another benefit of cardio is helping you sleep better throughout the night.  Regular exercise combined with good sleep habits have been shown to improve insomnia.  Exercise can help improve sleep quality and duration, as well as enhance daytime wakefulness and overall energy levels.  If you feel stressed out or restless, try exercising regularly to ease your body and mind and the results should show when you sleep at night.

Cardiovascular exercise also has been shown to strengthen your immune system.  Moderate aerobic exercise can increase antibodies in the blood called immunoglobulins which can strengthen the immune system.  Cardio training can also improve brain power.  It has been shown that after age 30 our brain begins to degenerate.  Exercise has been proven to reverse this aging process in our brain and improve our cognitive performance.

How much cardiovascular exercise do I need?

Experts have said that at least 150 minutes a week or 20-30 min a day of moderate-intense cardio exercise is very beneficial for any person.  If you are new to exercising, then you can start slow and work your way up to a comfortable level that works for you.  You may even start with 10 minutes a day of moderate exercise such as walking, jogging, biking, or swimming.  It may take some time for your body to get used to this kind of training, but once you begin to reap the benefits it will become much easier and effortless to incorporate cardio into your daily routine.  Everyone begins and improves at different rates, so don’t compare yourself to others and do what feels best for you!  Looking for a new gym to kick off your new cardio training routine? East End Fitness on Long Island has all the appropriate equipment to make exercise fun and exciting!  Come on down today and try out our facility and start the journey to living a healthier life!