Why Cardio is so Important

Page: 1 2 3 (of 3)	Previous | Next

How Much Cardio Do You Need?

As you swim laps at the community pool or pedal your bike on a nature trail, all sorts of things are happening in your body to help keep cardiovascular disease at bay.

“If done regularly, cardiovascular exercise helps improve many risk factors for heart disease,” Goldberg says. It lowers blood pressure, maintains weight loss, and makes the heart stronger and more efficient so it can deliver more blood to the muscles. Exercise also improves cholesterol by raising HDL levels (the healthy type of cholesterol) and lowering LDL levels (the unhealthy type of cholesterol).

The benefits of cardiovascular fitness are particularly strong in terms of reducing blood pressure. The American Society of Hypertension recently reported that an aerobic exercise program may be the single most effective way to control blood pressure. These benefits start to show up fairly quickly.

“If you exercise for three to four weeks regularly, your blood pressure should start to go down,” Goldberg says. And although still significant, the cholesterol-lowering effects may take a little longer. “Some studies have shown that in order to get a really significant jump in HDL, a middle-aged woman may have to exercise for a year,” Goldberg says.

Any physical activity is better than none, according to the American Heart Association. Even low-intensity activity—everything from light to moderate housework, gardening, and climbing stairs—for 30 minutes a day can help. But, more vigorous activity—jogging, jumping rope, brisk walking, swimming—for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week is the best for achieving fitness for your heart and lungs.

If you’ve never exercised before, don’t attempt to run for 30 minutes on your first day. Too much too soon can lead to injury and burnout. After checking with your health-care professional, start with five minutes of exercise every other day and build up to 30.