Cardiovascular Exercise Weight Loss

Cardiovascular exercise is the epiphany of weight loss and creating a healthier you. It works the larger muscles in the body and boosts your oxygen while improving your circulation. You can tailor a work out plan to fit your needs and schedule and a key note to remember is to lose one U.S. pound, you have to burn 3,500 more calories then you take in as food. It isn’t a secret that you lose weight by burning calories; the highest amount burned is normally during a high intensity cardio routine.

Types of Exercise

Low Intensity Cardio Workouts
These workouts are geared towards burning fat. These workouts allow you to monitor your heart rate to insure you are reaching your ideal level. They are normally slow and steady, and include the following:

• Long duration (45min-1hr)

• You burn fat for energy not carbohydrates.

• Low risk for energy.

• Less wear on bones and joints.

High Intensity Cardio Workouts
High intensity challenges you to push past the normal. You are getting a high impact workout geared towards burning fat and fast. These workouts allow you to focus on burning more calories then food you eat.

• Short Duration ( 20min-30min)

• Interval training

• You burn a lot of calories and increase your metabolism throughout the day.

• High risk for injury.

• More wear and tear on bones and joints.

Comparison to other types of exercises for weight loss

Before considering any workout you have to define your fitness goals. The best thing about cardio is that you have a wealth of choices in any workout you do. Dabble in a few different things to figure out what fits you the best.

If you are looking to burn fat fast and lose weight then you will have to implement high intensity cardio workouts into your life. The only benefit to high intensity cardio is the fat burning, you stand a higher risk of injury and people need to keep that in mind; that’s why you have to it in intervals.

Low intensity workouts are slow and steady and should be done if you have issues with your weight or with your joints and bones. These exercises are safe and have a very low risk for energy.

Effectiveness

Walking (low intensity)

This is one of the best beginning cardio workout routines that you can begin. You will literally walk the extra pounds off of your body and feel noticeable improvements in your daily life. With walking you have the benefit of choosing the environment and the intensity. You can walk indoors on a treadmill, in place, outdoors, up hills, malls…virtually anywhere and anytime.

• Walking 2-4 mph for 45 minutes will burn anywhere between 155-452 calories.

• Walking uphill for 45 minutes at a brisk pace can burn 452-686 calories.

• Noticeable health improvement within a few days.

Calisthenics (low intensity)

You can combine the calisthenics you like the most and create a fun, action packed, calorie burning, weight losing workout anyplace. You are going to burn baby burn, and better yet you will work your entire body. Some examples of calisthenics are: jumping Jacks, sit-ups/crunches, weighted cable ball crunches, side bridge, pelvic thrust, v-ups, jack knives, air bike, and push ups to name a few.

• When performed vigorously for a 15 minute time frame will burn 76-137 calories.

• Effective results are increase in endurance and strength.

• Muscle toning

Elliptical Trainer (low/high intensity)

Is one of the best pieces of equipment that you can use in and out of the gym. It gives you a complete cardio workout and dependent on how hard you work you can burn double the calories of any other piece of equipment. With the elliptical you will be able to move your arms and legs and can adjust it for incline or flat. You will work your inner and outer thighs, legs, arms, and sides. The calories you burn will be worth every minute that you focus on this high calorie burning machine.

• One 45min-60min workout on an elliptical trainer can burn 580-773 calories.

• Effective weight loss.

• Offers optimum weight loss with low injury risk.