Cardio exercises are one of the best ways to maintain a healthy body. Not only do they help you stay in shape, but they also promote better sleep and lower stress levels. Cardiovascular exercises come in many different forms and can be done throughout the day. Read on below to find out why cardio is so good for your health and how often you should do them!
1. Benefits Brain and Joint Health
Cardio exercises can be good for your brain and joint health. The increased blood flow during the workouts helps deliver oxygen to the muscles, which is necessary to get energy from glucose or sugar. This also improves circulation and stimulates endorphins that enhance moods.
Exercise benefits joints by providing stability through a healthy range of motion (ROM) when exercising with weights, resisting gravity while lying down on an incline bench, walking up stairs-and even just sitting at a desk. It encourages natural movement patterns like rotating shoulders back away from ears, so you’re less hunched over – as well as strengthening core muscles throughout all planes of motions by doing planks or side-planks or crunches on alternate sides every few weeks.
2. Lower Stress Levels
In Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. John Ratey and a team of doctors studied the effects of aerobic exercise on stress levels for people with high blood pressure.
The research found that the participants assigned to six months of aerobic exercises had much lower cortisol levels – which is often called “the stress hormone.” The study also showed improvements in mood and cognitive functioning among those taking part in the program. These are just some reasons why cardio workouts can be healthy for you!
Kickboxing is among the many forms of cardio exercises that you can consider including, as it has proven to help with reducing stress. If you are looking to kickstart your kickboxing in Atlanta, it will be best if you choose a gym where you’ll get the quality of instruction and support you need. Getting a platform with qualified trainers means that you can be guided through your training regimen to ensure that it’s effective for you.
3. Good for your Heart Health
As the name suggests, cardiovascular exercises work to improve the health of your heart. They do so by strengthening your heart, making it more efficient, and reducing the risk of developing high blood pressure or coronary artery disease.
Several studies have found that people who exercise regularly are at less risk of stroke and cardiac arrest than those who don’t maintain an active lifestyle. Furthermore, these same participants experience improved circulation, reducing symptoms from conditions like colds, flu, allergies, and arthritis.
Cardiovascular workouts strengthen your lungs, too; they allow oxygen into our system quicker when we need it most (during physical activity). This helps you perform better in any fitness endeavor without feeling winded or out of breath!
4. Boosts your Skin Health
Your skin’s health is the most critical part of your body. Cardio exercises can help you improve your skin’s health and are a great way to avoid cellulite, acne, wrinkles, hair loss, stress headaches, among many other problems.
5. Boosts your Mood
Engaging in cardio exercises for at least 20 minutes has been shown to release endorphins that make you feel happier and more energized.
Exercising regularly may also help with anxiety, depression, and mood disorders because it releases serotonin in the brain.
It can even assist those dealing with PTSD because when a person exercises, they produce more gray matter, which helps manage emotions better than before.
This is why exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress in people suffering from mental health problems!
6. Promotes Good Sleep
Getting enough sleep is highly recommended for anyone looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. What better way is there than getting some nice deep sleep, and that’s where cardio exercises come into play. A great warm-up before any exercise routine or activity will help relax your muscles and calm the mind for an optimal night’s sleep.
How often should one do cardio exercises?
To get effective results through cardio exercises, one should do them at least three to four times a week.
One can do it for five minutes or an hour, as long as their heart rate is high enough and they feel good after the exercise session.
With all of the benefits that come with doing cardio exercises, it seems like a no-brainer to get up and start moving. The best part is you don’t have to spend hours at the gym or dedicate your entire day on Saturday mornings for a boot camp class. You can do 20 minutes in front of Netflix while catching up on Orange Is The New Black! All joking aside, though, we highly recommend incorporating some form of aerobic exercise into your fitness routine two days per week if you want to reap those physical and mental health benefits. You can also combine these short periods with other forms of more intense workouts, such as weightlifting, for an even better experience!
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