Cardiovascular endurance is how well the body’s circulatory and respiratory systems can supply oxygen to the body during sustained physical activity. The better your cardiovascular endurance the longer you can sustain aerobic exercise without fatiguing or needing to slow down. It is a crucial aspect of physical fitness and overall health and also affects the body’s ability to perform daily tasks and engage in physical activity without feeling fatigued. Here are the different ways to improve your cardiovascular endurance, also known as aerobic endurance.
Improving cardiovascular endurance
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise is the most common and effective way to improve cardiovascular endurance. Aerobic exercises are those that involve short bursts of energy and include running, swimming, dancing, biking, jumping rope, and skating. These exercises increase the strength of the heart, boost the efficiency of the lungs, strengthen your muscles and help the body utilize fat as an energy source. It also slows down your resting heart rate. To improve your cardiovascular endurance, perform aerobic exercises for about 30 minutes a day, 3 days per week.
Start simple
If you’re new to exercise, start small. if you bit off too much at the start, you could end up discouraging yourself and quitting altogether. For example, start with as little as 15-minute workout sessions then work your way upwards.
Pick something you enjoy
Choose an activity you enjoy and make the session as fun as possible. For example, dancing or skipping rope to music. Aerobic exercises include:
Don’t overdo it
Doing the same exercise more than five days per week puts you at a high risk for injuries. Change up the exercise to those that utilize different groups if you want to exercise every day.
Benefits of improved cardiovascular endurance
Lowered risk of disease: Aerobic exercises improve cardiovascular endurance and decrease the risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes and stroke.
Better strength and stamina: The heart and lungs will be stronger which will increase your energy and stamina.
Immune boost: Your immune system will improve decreasing your likeliness of catching viral infections.
Stronger bones: Stronger bones means a lower risk of developing illnesses like osteoporosis.
Better mood: Aerobic exercise helps relieve tension and anxiety, helping you relax and sleep better.
In addition to aerobic exercises, you should also eat a well-balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Hydration is also essential for maintaining cardiovascular endurance. Even mild dehydration can lead to fatigue and decreased performance.
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