10 Reasons Why Cardio Exercise Is Important For Your Overall Wellbeing

Updated on February 16, 2022

Cardiac exercises regardless of weight, athletic ability, and age are beneficial. Regular cardio exercise, for example, swimming, running, cycling, and dancing keep you healthy. That is because cardio exercises affect blood flow, improve lungs, and heart health. So, get moving and start getting the rewards.

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10 Cardio Exercise Benefits

Here are 10 cardio exercise benefits 

1. Best For Heart Health

Strengthening your blood cells and heart through cardio activities like running or biking improves your overall cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association and medical professionals recommend cardio for people with or at risk of heart disease. That is because regular exercise strengthens your heart and improves its ability to efficiently pump blood throughout your entire body.

If you’re stuck at home because of the Covid19 pandemic, you can jump on the indoor cycling bandwagon. hope you’ve heard about the Peloton craze. If that’s too pricy for you, you can get a used Peloton bike or any other indoor exercise bike and use it with the Peloton app. In fact, there are several options to choose from. You have no excuse to give. 

Cardio exercise can also decrease blood pressure and prevent your arteries from being clogged by increasing good high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and by decreasing bad cholesterol low-density lipoprotein in the blood(1).

So, your heart, one of your body’s most vital organs, gets a boost from this exercise.

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2. Boosts Energy

 Most people turn to caffeine-containing beverages like energy drinks and coffee to stay awake and attentive. Taking a long nap is necessary for some people to get through the day without crashing out. But if you overdo it, these strategies might be bad for your health. Cardio exercise is a better alternative. 

Many people prefer to start the day with some cardio because it can naturally enhance your energy. Our body releases Endorphins when we engage in an activity that needs energy, like running(2). Our energy levels rise as a result of the higher levels of endorphins. 

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3. Great For Mental Health

Another advantage of cardio exercise is that it improves your mood, thanks to the production of endorphins, the happy hormones. Cardio is the best way to fight stress, anxiety, and depression(2). Regular physical activity has been shown to have a positive effect on one’s state of mind.

 In research, participants walked on a treadmill for 30 minutes in a session. This study revealed that depression symptoms were significantly reduced in all of the subjects. This research emphasized that a few minutes of exercise can have a significant impact on mood(3).

You do not need to wait for two weeks to see the visible improvement.  A single workout may be sufficient to give you a boost. 

Besides depression treatment, your mind is being challenged as much as your body when you’re doing cardiovascular exercise. There are going to be occasions during your workout when you feel like quitting. The natural “high” you may experience after completing a difficult workout is a result of pushing through it and finally completing it. 

You’ll feel better about yourself and gain more self-assurance as soon as you start a regular cardiac workout routine.

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4. Better Night’s Sleep

Although many health professionals advise getting a good night’s sleep of at least 7 to 8 hours per night, many people fail to achieve this goal. This leads to low energy which can make the rest of the day a real struggle. For some people, a good night’s sleep is hard to come by because for them it is hard to fall asleep due to their duty or a sleeping disorder.

 However, sleeping at the right time is important and cardio will help you with that.  According to a study, regular exercise and sleep hygiene education are excellent treatments for insomnia. In this research, the participants performed cardio exercises for 16 weeks and then were asked to complete mood and sleep questionnaires(4). 

This research revealed that in the active group, sleep quality and duration improved, as well as daytime alertness and vitality. So, you’ll get a better night’s sleep if you add cardio into your routine.  In addition, If you plan to do cardio, you sure will feel tired right before going to bed. This will also help you fall asleep at the required time.

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5. Improves immune Power

No one wants to become sick! You may not be able to take time off work or you will miss an important occasion if you become sick. The worst part about feeling sick is that it may hit at the most inconvenient of times, frequently without warning. However, this need not be the case. 

You can boost your immune system’s ability to fight against bacterial infections by increasing your white blood cell count and increasing your antibodies. With regular cardio, the white blood cells and antibodies present in your body will move faster and can detect diseases with better ability.

For example, researchers at Pennsylvania State University studied the effects of exercise on the immune systems of active and sedentary women.

One group used the treadmill for 30 minutes and the other group did not perform any exercise.  This study revealed that moderate cardio activity increases levels of antibodies in the blood called immunoglobins. This results in a stronger immune system. 

Therefore, do some cardio for at least 3 to 5 days a week. You don’t have to be boring either. Cardio workouts don’t have to seem like a burden if you do different cardio exercises. Cardio workouts can also be performed at a level of intensity that suits your needs.

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6. Best for weight loss

One of the most common reasons people begin an aerobic exercise routine is that it can help them lose weight. If you’re trying to lose weight, cardio is an excellent option because it helps you burn fat and reduce your calories. While dieting is the most important part of a weight loss program, you’ll want to add cardio into your daily routine to help you reach your goal. 

Cardio can burn hundreds of calories in a single session, which is why it’s so effective. Lately, many people have resorted to using stationary bikes for weight loss because of the pandemic. and they’re getting results. You have no excuse if you’re still thinking about how! 

In a study, obese participants were instructed to maintain their current diet the same while also doing cardio exercises including walking, jogging, and using treadmills five times a week.  

This research revealed that men and women lost a considerable amount of weight, ranging from 4.3 to 5.7 percent of their initial weight(5). 

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7. Decreases the risk of several heart diseases

Cardiovascular exercise also lowers one’s chances of acquiring a number of life-threatening conditions. According to an estimation, approximately 1.5 million Americans suffer from a heart attack or stroke each year(6). One approach to lowering your risk of heart attacks and disease, as well as their underlying causes like cholesterol and high blood pressure is to engage in regular cardiovascular activity. So, adding physical exercise like cardio into your schedule might protect you from developing these diseases. 

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8. Decreases chronic pain

If you suffer from constant back pain, Cardiovascular exercise, particularly low-impact activities like aqua aerobics or swimming may help you regain muscle function and endurance. Exercise can also lower weight which can further decrease chronic pain(7).

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9. Reduces fall risk

Every year, one in three adults over 65 falls down.   Falls can cause fractured bones, which can lead to long-term impairments or even death. Regular exercises decrease the risk for falls.   Don’t worry if you think you’re too old to begin exercising. Don’t overthink. You have a lot to gain.

According to a study, aerobic dance can help minimize the risk of falling in women aged 72 to 87(8). In this research, the women exercised for an hour, three times per week for a total of 12 weeks.   In this type of cardio, the women performed squatting motions, leg balance, and performed gross motor skills.

This study revealed that control group women performed far better than the other standing with one leg with their eyes closed. They also had a superior grip strength and a greater range of motion, all of which are vital to preventing falls.

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10. Improves lung capacity

Many people avoid cardio since it might be difficult to breathe during the workout. Your lungs, on the other hand, are benefiting from all that hard breathing. You’ll be able to expand your lungs’ capacity by pushing yourself to the limit during a tough cardio exercise session.

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Conclusion

We shouldn’t let our bodies sit around all day; we need to keep them active and moving.  Cardio is an excellent option, in order to maintain a healthy weight and treat your body like a temple.   You can perform cardio outside, at the gym, or even at your own home. 

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References

1. Mann S, Beedie C, Jimenez AJSm. Differential effects of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and combined exercise modalities on cholesterol and the lipid profile: review, synthesis, and recommendations. 2014;44(2):211-21.

2. Farrell PA, Gates WK, Maksud MG, Morgan WPJJoAP. Increases in plasma beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin immunoreactivity after treadmill running in humans. 1982;52(5):1245-9.

3. Dimeo F, Bauer M, Varahram I, Priest G, Halter U. Benefits from aerobic exercise in patients with major depression: a pilot study. 2001;35(2):114-7.

4. Reid KJ, Baron KG, Lu B, Naylor E, Wolfe L, Zee PC. Aerobic exercise improves self-reported sleep and quality of life in older adults with insomnia. Sleep Medicine. 2010;11(9):934-40.

5. Donnelly JE, Honas JJ, Smith BK, Mayo MS, Gibson CA, Sullivan DK, et al. Aerobic exercise alone results in clinically significant weight loss for men and women: Midwest exercise trial 2. 2013;21(3): E219-E28.

6. Ridker PMJC. C-reactive protein: a simple test to help predict the risk of heart attack and stroke. 2003;108(12):e81-e5.

7. Nilsen TI, Holtermann A, Mork PJ. Physical exercise, body mass index, and risk of chronic pain in the low back and neck/shoulders: longitudinal data from the Nord-Trondelag Health Study. American journal of epidemiology. 2011;174(3):267-73.

8. Shigematsu R, Chang M, Yabushita N, Sakai T, Nakagaichi M, Nho H, et al. Dance‐based aerobic exercise may improve indices of falling risk in older women. Age and Ageing. 2002;31(4):261-6.

Author Bio

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Under training to become your personal trainer. If Nelson is not busy producing awesome information on cardiozero.com to improve your health and wellbeing, he’s probably sweating it out at the gym or watching Arsenal break hearts. A digital marketer, an avid reader, plays tennis and loves to travel. He’s a disciple of self-development and follows everything fitness religiously.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.