Exercising is good for your health, but sometimes we just run out of steam. Learn about cardio endurance, what it takes to improve, and more.
Your cardiorespiratory endurance lets you know how well your heart, lungs, and muscles can perform in moderate to high-intensity workouts. By improving your cardio endurance, you will increase your oxygen uptake and last longer during exercise.
The following article explains cardio endurance, how you can measure it and what it takes to improve it.
What is cardio endurance?
Whether you call it cardiovascular fitness, cardiovascular endurance, or cardiorespiratory fitness, cardio endurance measures how well you perform during workouts. For example, if you can endure high-intensity activities and not get tired, you have high cardio endurance.
To measure your levels, you have to examine how well your body takes in and uses oxygen. There are two tests that can measure cardio endurance: metabolic equivalents (METs) and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max).
METs are the ratio between energy expended during physical activities and energy expended while resting. VO2 max focuses on the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during high-intensity activities.
When testing your VO2 max, you will typically run on a treadmill or pedal on a stationary bike as fast as possible. During this test, you will wear a chest strap or attachment that records your heart rate. Moreover, you will also wear a face mask that will measure your oxygen consumption levels.
Why is cardio endurance important?
Since cardio endurance indicates your level of aerobic health and fitness, it’s important that you stay on top of it. Furthermore, the better your endurance, the longer you can last in high-intensity physical activities.
According to a 2017 study, people with higher endurance are less likely to have high blood pressure. Moreover, a 2015 study shows that healthy cardio endurance may decrease the risk of coronary heart disease.
If you want to improve it, regular exercise is the best option. Through a mix of resistance training, endurance training, and high-intensity interval training, you can improve your endurance and muscular strength.
In addition, certain exercises will help improve cardiorespiratory endurance, build muscle, and burn calories at the same time. These include jumping jacks, burpees, running planks/mountain climbers, and side-shuffle touches.
Do these exercises in sets of 10 to 15 repetitions for 1 minute and take a 20-second break between sets. You can also do as many repetitions as possible if this is too much or too little of a workout.
It’s important that you maintain a good level of cardio endurance if you want to stay in top shape. Try the exercises listed above to improve your endurance and experience the benefits of better heart health.
If you want to get an extra boost to your health, try a daily supplement like Circulation Boost. Its ingredients will help support nitric oxide production, resulting in better circulation and blood flow. Try Circulation Boost along with your new exercises to support your heart health and workouts as necessary.