Cardiovascular Training

Cardiovascular training is simply training the heart and lungs to be more efficient. During cardio training, the body requires the blood to carry an increased level of oxygen to the extremities and this requires the heart to pump blob more efficiently around the body and the lungs to make  better use of the air they are able to take in and expel.

Cardio training is any activity that leads to an increase in the heart’s beats per minute such as power walking, cycling, rowing, jogging, running or stair climbing. Different people will respond in different ways to various activities depending on their fitness level but one may derive the same benefits from 30 minutes of power walking as someone of a different fitness level would derive from 45 minutes of cycling.

Cardio training can be broken down into 3 basic levels that work different energy systems or training zones.

The first is the fat burning zone which feels rather slow even to people who are relatively unfit. This involves working at a level which keeps your heart rate between 50 – 65% of your maximum heart rate. 

The next level is the aerobic training zone which will improve your general fitness levels and allow you to improve your cardio endurance. This level involves taking your heart rate from 60 – 70% of your maximum heart rate.

The next level is you anaerobic training zone which will improve you cardio endurance and is specifically useful when training for sports which require bursts of power such as tennis, short distance running etc. This level take your heart rate from 75 – 95% of your maximum heart rate.

To obtain your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) training zone follow the formula below:

                   220 – your age = MHR

                   MHR x 65 / 100 = 65% of MHR