Guide to Cardio Exercises – The Outdoor Workout

The human body is a complex system that is composed of organs, limbs, muscles, blood, hormones and nails among others. In order for the body to function, you need to eat and breathe. Oxygen helps to oxygenate the blood while food nourishes the muscles and body cells allowing the body to grow and develop.

The heart and the lungs are vital organs as they are at the center of the above activities that is pumping of oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood to and from the body as well as breathing in and out of clean and used air.

Today, thanks to smart devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets, people are spending way too much time with them. It’s not a surprise to find people sleeping with these devices beside them so that they don’t miss that post, tweet or WhatsApp message from a friend or loved one.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle has a negative impact on the body. To improve one’s cardiovascular health, you need to engage in cardio exercises.

Swimming

For many people, a swimming pool is just a place where you can throw a party and invite a few friends. For others, it’s a place to sleep on the deck chair and let the skin absorb the rays of the sun as you sip your favorite drink.

Swimming is a great workout as it engages different limbs and muscles when moving through the water. For example, when you breast stroke, you need to make movements with your arms, neck and legs. This exercise helps to make the heart to pump blood faster while the lungs take in clean air and expel used air.

Next time you have an opportunity of standing by a pool; don’t look at it as a massive pond but as a gateway to better health.

Walking

The best thing about walking is that you can turn it into a fun activity. You don’t have to walk in the park or around the neighborhood when you need to exercise. The hills and woods in the countryside are perfect places to hike. When you walk, different joints like the knees, the elbows and shoulders get to move which improves lubrication.

For the muscles around the legs, thighs, arms and back, they will not only receive nourishment from oxygenated blood but they will receive the much needed exercise too. You will be able to exercise your legs and the whole body as well as experience nature at its best.

Running

When you run, you engage your heart and your lungs just like swimming and cycling do. The lungs will take in oxygen and dispel used air quickly. This is done to supply the heart with oxygenated blood as the body cells are burning energy at a high rate. Running is a cardio exercise for the outdoors and the best thing about it is that you can push your body to highest limits. For instance, you can start jogging one mile in a day and within no time; you will have the ability of participating in a marathon.

Cycling

When you cycle, you help to jump start metabolism allowing your body to burn calories which in turn powers the cells in the muscles. Cycling allows you to engage your legs, your back, your elbows, your arms and your wrists. Your heart and lungs will benefits from the oxygen as well as the energy produced which helps to power the organs.

Final Thoughts

What you need to remember is that even though cardio exercises help to improve your heart and lungs, you need to take a rest. You can work out from Monday to Friday but set Saturday and Sunday for resting.