Fitness

Cardiovascular training or aerobic training is essentially moderate physical activity that places demands on the oxygen using pathways so that oxygen rich blood is provided for the working muscles. The more challenging the exercise, the higher the heart rate, and the greater demand you are putting on your body requires the body to adapt in order to efficiently provide oxygen for the muscles as well as efficiently expel cellular waste like carbon dioxide and metabolic waste products. Those are the two tasks that cardiovascular training seeks to improve.

Aerobic exercise has a host of benefits. Some of the more notable ones include burning body fat, increased life span, increased energy levels, relief of depression, preventment of certain kinds of cancer, lowered risk of heart disease, improved sleep quality, improved mental acuity, reduced stress levels, slowed aging, elevated HDL cholesterol levels, and an enhanced self-image.

A good example of stretching aerobic exercise is given below. Perform this stretch as part of your regular stretching program 2-4 times a week. You can also do this stretch as part of your cool-down after a strength-training workout.

Seat dow on the floor, and bundle your legs. Breath in and lift your left hand as much up as you can. Stretch your left side by bending slightly to the right. After holding a position for 15 seconds, inhale, then exhale and deepen the stretch, holding for an additional 10 seconds.

Don't rock your pelvis. Try to keep your "sit bones" firmly anchored to the floor while you change torso position. Focus on lengthening your spine through the top of your head as you hold each position.