Cardio exercise is a type of exercise that can help improve the strength of the heart and lungs. The movements in cardio exercise will stimulate your heart, increasing the oxygen levels in the blood and helping the body utilize oxygen efficiently.
Anyone can do this type of exercise, whether young or old and regardless of gender. However, since this exercise generally makes you breathless by accelerating your breathing to be quick and deep, it's best to start cardio exercise slowly.
Tips For Starting Cardio Exercise For Beginners
For some people, starting is the hardest part of working out. If you are just beginning to engage in exercise, it’s important to understand the type of exercise you are doing and what goals you want to achieve with it.
If you choose cardio exercise, aim to exercise until your heart rate exceeds your normal heart rate for 10 minutes. This way, your respiratory organs will work maximally to circulate blood throughout your body.
There are many types of cardio exercises you can do, such as cycling, swimming, or brisk walking. As a starting point, choose a cardio exercise with light intensity that matches your target heart rate, and then gradually increase that intensity.
For those of you just starting cardio exercise, here are some tips you can follow:
Choose an Exercise You Enjoy
The best exercise is one that you do regularly and enjoy. To start, you can choose walking, which is easy to do and doesn’t require much equipment. If you enjoy cycling or swimming, you can also choose these as variations in your cardio workout.
Set a Suitable Schedule
Besides choosing the type of exercise, another challenge for beginner exercisers is to set a suitable workout schedule. According to the CDC, to function optimally, it is advisable to exercise for 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week, or 150 minutes per week. Ensure that your workout schedule meets this requirement.
Adjust Exercise Intensity
When starting cardio exercise, it is important to perform your exercise intensity according to your target heart rate for cardio. However, avoid overdoing it. Adjust the type of exercise to your target heart rate or your ability.
It is okay if you can only exercise for a short time, as long as it does not exceed your capabilities. Once your body starts to adapt, you can increase the duration or intensity of your exercise.
Use Appropriate Exercise Equipment
Whatever type of exercise you choose, make sure to always use suitable exercise equipment. If you choose swimming, wear swimwear, goggles, and any other necessary equipment. Likewise, if you choose cycling, it’s best to select a type of bike that matches your training goals, and don’t forget to wear a helmet and knee and elbow pads.
Cardio exercise can help improve heart health and strength. If you are just starting with cardio exercise, it is recommended to consult with a doctor or personal trainer so that you can exercise according to your body’s needs.
If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- dr Nadia Opmalina
Waehner, P. (2020). How Beginners Can Get Started With Cardio. Available from: https://www.verywellfit.com/exercise-for-beginners-cardio-exercise-1229578
Waehner, P. (2022). Cardio Workouts for Absolute Beginners. Available from: https://www.verywellfit.com/two-cardio-workouts-for-beginners-1230807
LiveStrong. Your Straightforward Guide to Getting Started With Cardio. Available from: https://www.livestrong.com/article/13722485-cardio-for-beginners/
Upham, B. (2020). How to Start (or Restart) a Cardio Habit You Can Stick With. Available from: https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/how-to-start-or-restart-a-cardio-habit-you-can-stick-with/