by Jeff Black, ACE-CMES | blackcmes@gmail.com
Summer may be over, but keeping yourself healthy with cardiovascular activity shouldn’t stop with the warm weather. Many people begin doing cardiovascular activity to slim down for the summer and give it up as soon as the fall hits (if not before then). Cardiovascular activity can be as simple as a brisk walk to as challenging as running a full marathon. Here are some simple guidelines to help keep you healthy and see the results that you desire.
- First, be honest with yourself when thinking about cardiovascular activities that you enjoy versus ones that you hate. The worst exercise you can possibly commit to doing is one that you won’t want to do. If you hate running or stair climbing, then don’t commit yourself to doing it. There is no magic cardiovascular activity that is better than another. I recommend that you pick 2-3 cardiovascular activities that you enjoy or at least don’t “hate.” Be honest with yourself about what works for you and what you truly will do.
- Second, alternate those activities on a 2-3 week basis. For the first 2-3 weeks, you may choose to walk. For the next 4-6 weeks, you may choose to bike. Some people may revert back to walking for the next 7-9 weeks while others may choose a different activity. This helps to keep things interesting, while keeping your body from plateauing and reducing the risk of injury. Ultimately, the decision is yours on what you choose to do.
- Third, cardiovascular activity should be done MOST days of the week for 20 to 60 minutes each day. More intense activity can be done 3-5 times per week. Easy to moderate physical activity should be done 5-7 days per week. Try to choose cardiovascular activities that challenge you while still keeping you motivated. Base the difficulty level of the activity on how it makes you personally feel. For some people, running may be very hard and biking may be very easy, while for others biking may be more challenging than running.
- Finally, progress the difficulty of your activities. Over the months, make sure you are still pushing yourself adequately. If you ran on the road the last time you went for a run, try switching to a trail run. If you do cardiovascular activity on an elliptical trainer, try increasing the resistance level during your next stint. Small increments are better than huge leaps when it comes to progressing the difficulty. Try increasing speeds or resistance levels in the smallest increments possible. This is where a common mistake is made. Many people see fit, lean men or women doing a certain activity at a very hard intensity and mistakenly believe that the very hard intensity is what makes them fit and lean. What builds fitness levels is the actual act of progression. Going from an easy to moderate to hard intensity will deliver better fitness results than trying to push from an easy to hard intensity. Take your time, the results are actually a reflection of one’s journey, not one’s intensity.
Before beginning any physical activity program, please consult with a healthcare provider. For more ideas on types of cardiovascular activity, please contact a certified health and fitness professional.
Jeff Black is an ACE – Certified Medical Exercise Specialist, an ACE – Certified Health Coach and a NSCA – Certified Personal Trainer. He is a Subject Matter Expert for the American Council on Exercise and works as a freelance personal trainer in Memphis, Tennessee. He specializes in using exercise to manage medical conditions and improve the fitness levels of a wide variety of clients.
