'Cardio' - short for cardiovascular - refers to the heart and blood vessels. When your heart fails to functions efficiently - you come under the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). CVDs account for a large proportion of all deaths and disability worldwide. It has been predicted that by 2020 there is likely to be a significant increase in deaths due to cardiovascular causes in India.

Know your treadmill

Cardio exercises are aimed at improving the efficiency of cardiac function and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. These exercises (brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, and climbing stairs) have several physiological benefits that help the heart becomes stronger and more efficient. These exercises also benefit your overall health. Explore how cardio exercises contribute to your well being:

Helps prevent or manage existing CVD: CVD includes coronary artery disease that affects the blood vessels that supply the heart muscles and results in heart attacks (myocardial infarction), cerebrovascular diseases that affect the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain and result in strokes, high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure. All of these impair the functioning of your heart.

Cardio exercises play a role in increasing the cardio output (the volume of blood pumped by the heart in one minute), thereby strengthening the heart muscles and thus improving their efficiency. This in turn improves your body's ability to perform physical activities better.

Improves your physical fitness: Cardio exercises strengthen the skeletal muscles (voluntary muscles of the limbs responsible for physical activity), thus improving general fitness and conditioning as well as balance and coordination.

Heart healthy foods

Good for your cholesterol: Dyslipidemia, or lipid disorders, are characterized by excess bad cholesterol getting deposited as plaques inside the blood vessels. Cardio exercises are known to increase the level of the good cholesterol or high density lipoprotein (HDL) in the blood. HDL removes the bad cholesterol from the walls of the blood vessels, thus preventing plaque formation. This helps in the prevention and better management of lipid disorders.

Guards against diabetes: Diabetes results from decreased insulin production in the pancreas as a result of which the blood glucose levels increase. This has a harmful effect on multiple organs including the heart, the kidneys, the eyes and the nerves. Cardio exercises enhance the effect of insulin and facilitate the transport of glucose across the cells, thus reducing glucose levels in your blood.

Improves immunity: Studies have shown that with moderate exercise, immune cells circulate better and faster throughout the body and are able to destroy harmful viruses or bacteria. Thus cardio exercises strengthen your immune system and also reduce your susceptibility to common viral illnesses.

Keeps hypertension at bay: Cardio exercises play a role in the prevention and management of hypertension, or high blood pressure, by reducing the resistance offered by the blood vessels to the flow of blood.

Offers protection from obesity: Cardio exercises also act on the metabolism of adipose or fat tissue. More fat is burned during exercise, which in turn leads to weight reduction.

Defence against cancer: Studies have indicated that cardio exercise can reduce the risk of bowel, breast and many other types of cancer, due to the altered levels of insulin, estrogen and other hormones and growth factors.

Positive impact on the respiratory system: Lungs are the respiratory organs that expand during inhalation, taking in oxygen from the air and passing it on to the blood stream. With exercise, the lungs become more expansive, as a result of which the body's capacity to take in oxygen increases.

Cardio exercises are beneficial only when performed on a regular basis and over a long period of time. The elderly, however, should consult their physician before starting on any exercise program.

Powered by

Image: Flickr/creativecommons/markomni