What is Cardiovascular (Aerobic) Exercise?
Get Fit Today UK
Cardiovascular exercise also known as Aerobic exercise refers to exercise that involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body.Aerobic means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating process.
Aerobic exercise comprises innumerable forms. In general, it is performed at a moderate level of intensity over a relatively long period of time. For example, jogging, cycleing, power walking and hundreds more. To obtain the best results, an aerobic exercise session involves a warming up period, followed by at least 20 minutes of moderate to intense exercise involving large muscle groups, and a cooling down period at the end.
'Aerobic capacity' describes the functional capacity of the cardiorespiratory system, (the heart, lungs and blood vessels). Aerobic capacity is defined as the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during a specified period, usually during intense exercise.It is a function both of cardiorespiratory performance and the maximum ability to remove and utilize oxygen from circulating blood.
So the higher your Anerobic Capacity the higher your Anerobic fittness is. (You can run for a most sustained period or cycle further etc)
Benifits to Cardiovascular/Anerobic exercise include:
- Improved mental health, including reducing stress and lowering the incidence of depression
- Improving circulation efficiency and reducing blood pressure
- Strengthening and enlarging the heart muscle, to improve its pumping efficiency and reduce the resting heart rate.
- Strengthening the muscles involved in respiration, to facilitate the flow of air in and out of the lungs
- Toning muscles throughout the body
Reference:
aerobic - Dictionary definition and pronunciation - Yahoo! Education