We should know by now that cardio workouts benefit our bodies. They get our hearts pumping, which in turn, strengthen our heart muscles. Increasing our aerobic fitness makes us do things longer and faster.
Health professionals have outlined the benefits of cardio workouts:
- It lowers blood sugar levels and improves insulin resistance, especially if combined with weight training. But if we are on diabetic medication, or any medication, it is always wise to seek our doctor’s opinion before getting into any fitness routine.
- It eases depression and anxiety, thus improving our mood. Research showed that an area of our brain that manages emotions, the hippocampus, gets enlarged when we do cardio exercises, which slows down the breakdown of brain cells.
- Our body’s sleep-wake cycle, the circadian rhythm, gets better through cardio. A good night’s sleep renews our brain and body. Caution should be taken exercising close to bedtime as it could disrupt sleep for some people.
- The prefrontal cortex works better because of the increased blood flow. It is that part of our brain that takes care of our complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making and moderating social behavior. We get better in our abilities to organize, to interpret and to act on stimuli.
- Cardio workouts help us to remember better when we move around, especially for us people above 50 years old. They lessen our chances of getting dementia and related diseases. Yes, the so-called senior moments.
- Related to the 50-above age group, cardio helps us to preserve our neuro-plasticity or neuro-elasticity – the ability of our brain to change and adapt continually all thru our lives. Yes, we are never too old to learn and do new things.
- I’m two years away from having my 20% discounts, and this is one of the perks of getting older. The major down side of aging are joint pains. Walking, jogging and biking are one of the more effective ways to ease arthritis pain and inflammation. In the long run, it gets our heart fitter, making it easier for us to stay active. Combined with a healthy diet, it helps us lose weight, taking pressure off our knees.
- We breathe better with cardio exercise, that even regular brisk walking improves our breathing.
- We live in an environment surrounded with bacteria and viruses. Regular cardio workouts help our bodies fight illness caused by them. Exercise lets our blood circulate around our bodies better, boosting our immune system.
- Our cholesterol levels improve by raising our HDL, or known as the good cholesterol, while it lowers the LDL, the bad cholesterol. Unhealthy levels of cholesterol build up plaque in our arteries that could lead to strokes and heart attacks.
So, how much exercise do we really need? Fitness experts recommend a standard of 30 minutes, five times a week. As our fitness level improves, increasing the intensity and length of workouts give us more benefits, and the best gains come from exercise periods between 45 minutes to an hour. It’s never too late to begin exercising. Let’s check with our doctors first, then let’s start slow./PN
