50+ Lifestyles

All About Cardio

By Logan Anderson, BA, CPT, CIFT
Owner of All Strong Fitness LLC

You’ve probably heard of the term “cardio” before in your daily life. Most of the time, it’s used as a joke punchline where your best friend claims they “got their cardio in for the day” by walking up one flight of stairs. Although you are surely getting a small dose of “cardio” by walking up a flight of stairs, there is much more needed to remain fit and healthy. Looking at what cardio really is, and why it’s important for you helps to understand that it’s much more than a punchline in a joke.

The term “cardio” is actually a prefix of the word “cardiovascular.” Vascular refers to the veins, capillaries, and arteries that supply nutrients throughout the body. Simply being, your “cardiovascular system” involves the work of your heart to pump blood through the veins, capillaries, and arteries in your body. When you hear someone talking about doing “cardio,” this is what they are referring to whether they know it or not. When doing cardio, you are challenging your body’s ability to bring blood from the heart to your arteries, capillaries, and veins; ultimately to the organs and tissues that need the nutrients blood provides. This is great information to know for a family trivia night, but how does it actually apply to you?

Individuals with a healthy cardiovascular system are able to pump blood efficiently around the body. Individuals with a faulty cardiovascular system struggle to bring blood to the tissues that need it. An example of this is an individual with heart disease. Someone with heart disease typically suffers from a buildup of plaque in the arteries (atherosclerosis) that help pump blood around the heart. This buildup of plaque can cause heart attacks and other serious issues if left untreated. One of the main reasons to do cardiovascular exercise, especially as you get older, is to reduce the risk of developing diseases like this.

We’ve established what “cardio” is, and why it is important. But how does this look in your life? If you aren’t consistently doing cardiovascular exercise, a good goal to start reaching towards is the public health recommendations. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends getting 150 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity every week to keep your heart healthy. Examples of this could be walking briskly, water aerobics, washing your car by hand, or even light dancing. The key is to find an activity that you enjoy, and can consistently do. It may seem daunting to hit 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week, but don’t be scared at the number.

When broken down, this is only 30 minutes of activity 5 times a week. If you can’t commit to getting all 150 minutes, try to start by getting 75 minutes throughout the week.

Doing cardio is important to maintain your health and quality of life as you age. If you haven’t already considered adding this to your daily life, it’s as good of a day as any to start. Find an activity you enjoy and keep your heart healthy!

For more information please contact Logan Anderson, owner of All Strong Fitness LLC. He can be reached at (563) 210-3701 or by email: allstrongfitnessllc@gmail.com.