Last month our article ended with
an interesting question. "Did you know that the heart muscle, which in
the average adult weighs less than a pound, pumps about ___________ gallons a day, which is
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Cardiovascular Training benefits all 12 Systems of the human body. To fully appreciate all of the health and fitness benefits, it is important to understand the 'Two Main Body Functions'.
The Two Main Body Functions
The
body has a program, and it is cellular based. In other words,
everything that happens in the body begins in the cells. There are two main body functions happening at the cellular level. A person's level of health or wellness is dependent on how well these two functions work.
1) The cells pump in,
or absorb nutrients from the bloodstream and lymph fluid through their
cell membrane. The cells use these nutrients for energy to perform their
duties that they are responsible for in the body.
2) The cells pump out,
or eliminate wastes into the bloodstream and lymph fluid through their
cell membrane. These waste products are the result of the cell burning,
or metabolizing nutrients for energy.
A key point to understand is that cells do not 'pump' when we are not moving.
In other words, cells only pump in and out effectively when we
physically move our body. It is only when our body moves that cells pump
or 'vibrate' as a result of the effect of gravity. Cells are about 70%
fluid on average, so they are like microscopic 'water balloons'. When we
move the G-forces of gravity causes the cells to jiggle or vibrate,
which allows them to pump in nutrients, and pump out waste products
through their cell membrane. So movement keeps the cells healthy, and
being sedentary makes the cells unhealthy.
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The Big Question ???
Which
fitness products provide the most cardiovascular benefits? Treadmills
and ellipticals are weight bearing, and recumbent cycles (bikes), rowing
machines and upright cycles (bikes) are not weight bearing. The goal is
to use products that engage most of the muscles and joints in the body.
Working out on a variety of products is good because then it is fun and
exciting for the user, and more of the muscles and joints are used in
different positions and alignments to accelerate the health and fitness
benefits.
If you have a gym in your home,
it is recommended to have a treadmill, elliptical, recumbent cycle,
rower and upright cycle. It is important to use all 5 cardiovascular
products in your fitness program to properly exercise your upper body,
core or torso, and your lower body. All of the 400+ muscles and 200+
joints need regular and balanced exercise. Also, the variety of products
keeps your workouts fun and exciting! These should be quality products
purchased from an authorized and established business that stands behind
all of their products.
Another important consideration is that walking, running and
biking are primarily lower body exercises. Heart attacks and strokes do
not occur in the legs! Therefore it is essential that your
cardiovascular program includes fitness products that exercise your upper body and core while you are in your heart rate target zone. The elliptical cross-trainer and the rowing machine are the only
cardiovascular products that exercise your core and upper body. The
treadmill provides the best weight-bearing exercise for bone density,
and you can adjust the elevation to take the pressure off of the ankles,
knees and hips. The recumbent cycle and upright cycle work the legs and
hip areas differently, and both should be used for optimum lower body
development. If you are not sure of this, try them both out in the same
workout and you will see and feel the difference.
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A Good Motivator
Quality cardiovascular products will monitor your fitness level,
and also perform fitness tests for the individual. A heart rate
transmitter is used which goes around the diaphragm at the bottom of the
rib cage, and sends a wireless signal to the monitor on your fitness
product. This will provide accurate heart rate readout so that you can
exercise in your age-related target zone. Heart rate controlled workouts
can be performed as well. The user simply enters the heart rate that
they want to exercise at, and the fitness product will give you a
warm-up and keep you in your target zone. For example, if your heart
rate is too high the speed or resistance will decrease, and if your
heart rate is too low the speed or resistance will increase.
A fitness test
is as simple as recording your speed, resistance, workout duration, and
your heart rate when you are done. For example, if you were using a
treadmill, you could walk at 3 miles an hour at a 2% elevation for 20
minutes. The first time a person does this their heart rate, or pulse,
might be 130 beats per minute when they are done. After a month of
exercise, they could perform the same test and their pulse might be 120
beats per minute. A month later their pulse might be 110 beats per
minute. A month later their pulse might be 104 beats per minute. We can
see from this example that their heart rate dropped 26 beats per minute
over a 3 month period. This represents a significant improvement of 20%
in their cardiovascular efficiency, because 130 x 20% = 26, and 130 - 26
= 104. In other words, the same workload was being done by the heart to
deliver oxygen to all of the muscles of the body, but it could do it
with 20% less effort because it was saving 26 beats per minute. The
great thing about this is that a person can monitor their fitness level,
and see which direction they are going. As a result, a person has the
ability to simply and accurately determine if they are becoming
progressively stronger, healthier and more youthful. That is an
excellent motivator!
Accurate fitness tests
are only possible with quality fitness products. Walking, running or
biking outdoors introduces many different variables so accurate fitness
testing is not possible. Variables such as wind speed, wind angle,
elevation, speed, temperature, and warm versus cold weather clothing are
not a concern with indoor fitness products.
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It
is a good idea to keep written records of your workouts including the
date, which products you used, your speed, the resistance or elevation,
and your average heart rate. This is very motivating because you can see
your improvement over the months.
A few minutes of easy cardio and/or stretching on a good quality WBV (Whole Body Vibration) Platform is
one of the best ways to prepare or warm-up your body for your workout.
This should also be repeated for your cool-down after your workout.
In summary,
a person should be aware of their personal target zones for their heart
which are calculated based on their age and their level of health and
fitness. (Target heart rate was discussed in last months article.) All 5
indoor cardiovascular products should be used. A fitness test should be
performed periodically to determine if a person's cardiovascular
fitness is improving or declining. All 4 different cardiovascular
workouts (discussed in last month's article) could be used for enhanced
benefits if a person is in good physical health, and they have the
approval of their doctor.
Next month we will have a fun and exciting Review Quiz of the last 3
articles on Cardiovascular Training, with the reward of a $75 Gift Card
for anyone who completes it!
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