By: John Valentik

We’ve all heard of cardiovascular training before. But what does it actually entail? Do I have to run? How far, how long, how fast? Will there be snacks?! Jokes aside, cardiovascular training can be an overwhelming topic with a lot of common misconceptions. Let’s cover the why first and then we’ll discuss the what.

Cardiovascular training has countless benefits. The obvious is heart health. Cardio training has been shown to improve blood pressure, decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, improve how much blood your heart pumps per beat, lower resting heart rate for a more efficient heart, and improve how efficiently your body uses oxygen. That’s just it’s impact on heart health! It’s also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity which reduces your risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes, aids in weight loss, decreases risk of certain cancers, decreases depression symptoms, and improves cognition. The proof is in the low-fat pudding!

Okay, cardio is good for you. But what do I have to do? First of all, you do not need to run! For many, running, while beneficial, may be a bit too much. This is due to the intensity and high impact stress on the body. For those who can tolerate it, jogging or running would certainly classify as vigorous intensity cardio in most cases. For many other individuals, the modalities for cardiovascular training are endless. Walking would be the simplest and most accessible form. An individual could also choose to bike, row, swim, dance, or hike. With our colder months you could hop on the many cardio options in most gyms; stationary or spin bike, rower, elliptical, ARC trainer, stepper, treadmill, or the infamous assault bike. Various forms of resistance training like circuits are also considered cardio, but that will be for another article.

The most important piece of advice to take away from this article: choose the type of cardio training based on what you are most likely to do on a regular basis. You can get plenty of intensity with any variety of cardio equipment. Cardio is about what you put into it. I tell my students every semester, if you don’t like the treadmill, don’t use it! There are so many options out there. The American College of Sports Medicine states that just 10 minutes of continuous exercise can provide benefits. So, if you hate any monotonous equipment for your half hour workout, hit three different machines at 10 minutes a clip. The ACSM recommends 30 minutes a day, 5 days per week at a moderate intensity level. But, if you’re not there yet, something is always better than nothing!

Next, how do I know I’m performing at enough intensity? While a future article will be on calculating heart rate percentages for intensity, the easiest method to explain would be the talk test. This can give you a good idea of what type of intensity you are performing at; light, moderate, or vigorous. If you can sing while exercising; light, carry on conversation while occasionally catching your breath; moderate, conversation would be next to none or basically “don’t talk to me, I can’t breathe”; vigorous. If you haven’t done much cardio in the past three months, I would recommend light/moderate before working to vigorous. For you visual learners, here you go!

So, find something you can tolerate and above all, enjoy! Aim for 150 minutes per week (30 minutes 5x per week) but remember that every little bit helps. Any option you prefer as long as it gets your heart rate elevated and body moving. Determining intensity is as simple as talking or singing, whether to your friend who’s exercising with you, or to yourself, because who doesn’t do that from time to time anyway?! The more the better in most cases, but start small with as little as 10 minute bouts…right now!