Exercise and Cardiovascular Fitness

Exercise and cardiovascular fitnessAdam Hunt Word Count: 624 Most types of exercise are practiced in order to utilize the body's core functions and to better those bodily functions. Cardiovascular exercise is a popular type of exercise which is used to increase the heart's functions and the effectiveness of said functions. One main type of exercise is resistance exercise, which increases strength and mass, bone strength, and the body's metabolism. By practicing this cardiovascular exercise, you increase your heart's strength, making your heart more fit. With isometric exercise, another exercise utilizing your muscle's strength development, your muscles contract, but the fibers maintain a consistent length. This increases your heart's muscle's dynamic action, increasing the strength of your heart and, like resistance exercise, makes your heart more fit. There are also many other exercise types that help your heart gain strength to get your blood flowing. Because your heart is another muscle, exercising it frequently keeps it fit, like any other muscle. Regular exercise keeps your body in a healthy condition, and by keeping your body healthy, one can be defended from disease far more than an out of shape body. With a healthy diet, and regular exercise, you can maintain a good healthy heart and prevent heart disease. Many studies show that making improvements with your physical fitness will lower your risk of developing illness. Both aerobic and anaerobic exercises improves cardiovascular efficiency, strength and endurance, increases energy and metabolism, relieves stress, and increases flexibility. Those who regularly exercise have lower heart rates and have only about a third of the aerobic decline as those who don't exercise at all. Individuals who regularly practice aerobic workouts have been proven to increase lung capacity up to seventy six percent. Aerobic exercise is very effective in increasing lung capacity, decreasing LDL cholesterol levels, improving tamina and providing body fat burning. By exercising frequently, one can increase your health, and prevent health problems. These problems include developing heart disease, a large increase in blood pressure, increasing or development of high cholesterol, an increased risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer, increasing risk of becoming diabetic, reaching an unhealthy body weight, weaker muscles, bones and joints, increase of depression and anxiety, reduction in psychological wellness, and poor performance in work, recreation and sports. However, with aerobic exercise and strength training, one can expect an improvement in cardiovascular function, increased cardiac output, an increase in stroke volume, more blood volume and the ability to carry oxygen in the blood, a less strenuous workload on the heart, an increased blood supply to muscles and ability to use oxygen, a much lower heart rate and blood pressure, larger likelihood for lactic acid accumulation, a much lower resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure with individuals suffering from high blood pressure, more HDL cholesterol which is better for the body, decreased blood triglycerides, reduced body fat and improved weight control, and finally an improved glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance. With strength training, the body has an increase in muscular strength as well as tendon and ligaments, it also has the potential to improve the range of motion in your joints and decrease blood pressure. Finally, strength training is proven to have great potential to improve strength, balance and the functional ability in most older adults, reducing the risk of heart problems and other health complications. With so many factors pointing towards aerobic exercise as a means of building a healthier heart and maintaining a better lifestyle, it's obvious that exercise is a main way to achieve cardiovascular fitness and to have a healthier heart. By utilizing strength training and other types of exercise, one can reduce their risk of deadly disease and heart complications, and maintain a fit body and improved functionality.