Super Cardio Workout , articles, health

Super Cardio Workout

by Ines Mey
published February 18, 2008

rating: (79 Ratings)

People often tend to forget that the heart is a muscle—so any exercise that increases your heart rate will make it stronger and reduce your risk of heart disease on the long term. But in order to reap the maximum cardiovascular benefits, Health Canada recommends engaging in moderate activity for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. It’s so easy to protect yourself from the number one killer of Canadian women, cardiovascular disease—so there’s no excuse not to do it!

Pick an activity, any activity

Choose an activity (or several-- the more the better!), that you can get excited about. Walking, jogging, biking, swimming, playing a team sport, all of these are great cardio workouts. The important thing is to pick an activity that you’ll enjoy, and stick to!

Keep talking

Cardio workouts are most beneficial when you are exercising at 50 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate (Target Heart Rate zone ). You can measure this with a heart monitor, or with the Talk Test. Anytime during your workout, you can use conversation to gauge your intensity, just follow the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE):

Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale

Level 1: Talking is super easy

Level 2: Talking is still easy

Level 3: Talking requires almost no effort, but breathing a little harder

Level 4: Talking requires a little effort

Level 5: Talking requires some effort and breathing is laboured

Level 6: Talking is becoming quite difficult

Level 7: Talking is difficult, feeling breathless

Level 8: Talking is very difficult

Level 9: Talking is extremely difficult

Level 10: Can’t talk at all

For most workouts, you’d want to be around level 5 or 6. If you can’t talk, then you’re working too hard.

30-minute Heart-Healthy Workout

Here’s a great program that’ll really get your heart pumping. It’s a moderately paced workout, sprinkled with high intensity spurts, which will train your heart to work more efficiently.

You can do it on any machine (treadmill, stationary bike, cross-trainer, etc.) and even outdoors; just adjust your pace, and/or resistance or incline, until you are working out at the right intensity (RPE).

Workout	Minutes	RPE
Warm-up	0-5	3
Moderate	5-12	5
Moderate	12-15	6
High	15-16	8
Recovery	16-18	4
Moderate	18-22	6
High	22-23	7
Recovery	23-27	4
Cool-down	27-30	2

Remember to hydrate yourself before, after and during your workout, and to stop all activity if you start to feel dizzy or light-headed. Always consult a doctor before engaging in physical activity or when starting a new workout program.

On a daily basis
Certain actions that may seem banal can actually make a big difference in the long run:

- Ban elevators and escalators—take the stairs instead.
- Get off the bus a few stops earlier and walk the rest of the way.
- Don’t take the car to get to the convenience store or supermarket for small errands.
- Try to walk faster to increase your heart rate when taking a leisure walk.