Cardio fitness DOES still matter!
Have you noticed a bit of a backlash against cardiovascular exercise lately? The Cardio Free Diet, by Jim Karas, is a good example. The author argues that toiling away on a treadmill or stationary bike is the least efficient way to lose weight.
I agree. In terms of burning fat and calories, you get more bang from your buck by spending that time on moderate- to high-intensity strength training.
However, cardiovascular fitness is still important.
Although it may not be the shortest path to a sleek and toned physique, maintaining a moderate to high level of cardiovascular fitness slashes your risk of heart disease and increases your life expectancy, as reiterated by this latest report.
The authors of this review pooled data from a number of large studies and found that people with maximum aerobic capacity of 7.8 METs or more had a substantially lower rates of heart disease and death from any cause.
Want to see how fit you are?
All you need is a track or other accurately measured one-mile route and a stopwatch. Time how fast you can walk (not run!) a mile and take your pulse as soon as you finish. Then, plug your numbers into this calculator to estimate your aerobic fitness in both VO2max and METs. (See the calculator for more complete instructions.)
If you find that your cardiovascular fitness is low, it's time to add a little cardio back into the exercise routine. But you don't need to log countless hours or miles on the stairmaster. Our fitness guru Steve Cabral explains the basics of interval training, which is the best (and fastest) way to increase your aerobic fitness level.
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Posted by: Elite Health | Sep 15, 2009 6:42:21 AM
According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the nation's single leading cause of death for both men and women. At least 58.8 million people in this country suffer from some form of heart disease.
And on the whole, cardiovascular diseases (the combination of heart disease and stroke) kill some 950,000 Americans every year.
Still, there are many misconceptions about heart disease: "The biggest misconception is that heart disease only happens to the elderly," said Elizabeth Schilling, CRNP with the Center for Preventive Cardiology Program at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
In fact, according to the American Heart Association, almost 150,00 Americans killed by cardiovascular disease each year are under the age of 65. And one out of every 20 people below the age of 40 has heart disease.
So, it is now a wise decision to keep a constant monitoring of your health. Why to take a chance if we have the option. I was in the similar misconception that heart disease are far away waiting for me to get aged. But to my surprise, I was found to be having a calcium deposit in my coronary arteries. I need to have my advance diagnostic scans due reassure whether something really deadly is waiting for me. Though it was some dreadful going on in my life, but I never felt any kind of discomfort in Elitehealth.com advanced diagnostic facility. They were having some of the latest diagnostic equipments and non invasive techniques which made me feel safe.
Posted by: health | Jul 18, 2009 12:07:53 PM
Thanks for the great article and cardio health calculator. The 1-mile walk test you describe is a great, easy way for individuals to assess their own cardiovascular fitness level.
Thanks again for the great blog!
http://yarismak.com
Posted by: yarismak | Jul 18, 2009 12:07:18 PM
Thanks for the great article and cardio health calculator. The 1-mile walk test you describe is a great, easy way for individuals to assess their own cardiovascular fitness level.
Thanks again for the great blog!
health
Posted by: fitness medicine | Jul 9, 2009 7:31:15 AM
you should not ever give up doing something or underastimate it as long as it helps you.
Posted by: Elite Health | Jun 15, 2009 6:22:44 AM
Good post, but there is something that I don’t believe in this post. Being fat is really sometimes a big issue. And it’s exactly not being fat, but how you take your weight. I am 54 year old. I gained lot of weight in past 10 years, and I got a distinguishable tummy. I was already having diabetes, but was bit careless as I was mostly concentrating in my business. This carelessness cost me heavily in future. As I was gaining the weight, at the same time, I was unable to balance my cholesterol level. It used to fluctuate heavily. But because of my carelessness, I wasn’t attentive to my health issues, as they were creating hindrance to my work. But at some extreme points, one day I felt some hard beatings on my heart. Suddenly, my heart used to pump vigorously. And there was no point happening that as I was not doing any stressful or physical work. It got worse with time. I was really frightened with the amount of beats it was pumping. It would have been almost double and that also quite hard. I felt dizzy, and suddenly caught a severe headache. And especially, I was having a great amount of pain on my left wrist. I was really helpless at that time. There were no people around, no phone, no one to be called. The only thing that I was able to do was to try to be calm and wait for any help. Somehow, I managed to survive that day. But from that day I was really conscious about the health. That moment was like an alarming signal for something very deadly to happen. I immediately consulted a physician in Los Angeles, where I was staying because of some business work. They suggested me to have some basic cardio test like ECG, etc. I got those test at Elite Health medical office in los angeles. It came to me as a shock that I need to have my advance test, as the cardiologist was doubting to have a blockage in one of the ventricle. Then they took my advance tests like stress test, Echo cardiogram and MRI. The result were that I was having a 60% blockage in one of the left ventricle, and was in the danger of having heart attack. I was astonished to hear that. Then I got the medications and operations after 3 months. Then I got enrolled in one of the wellness program from same elite health where they used to monitor my health issues round the clock. You can find some more info from www.elitehealth.com/executive_corporate_programs.php. Right now I am quite healthy, taking a lot amount of care regarding the diabetes and heart issues. My weight is also under my control now with the help of reality diet program where the doctors of elite health discuss my current health status and recommend steps for improving my health and dietary habits.
Posted by: Tom Walters, DPT | May 31, 2009 7:43:24 PM
Hello Monica,
Thanks for the great article and cardio health calculator. The 1-mile walk test you describe is a great, easy way for individuals to assess their own cardiovascular fitness level.
Thanks again for the great blog!
Posted by: jen boda | May 27, 2009 1:11:19 PM
Great post. Thanks for reminding us that health is about more than just being thin, but about working out all our muscles, including the heart. Cardio is also, may I add, a wonderful way to decrease stress and improve mood, important in a country where nearly half of us are on antidepressants and antianxiety medication.
Posted by: fat preacher | May 27, 2009 5:29:07 AM
Monica, a lot of people spend a lot of time worrying about the BEST way to lose weight or gain muscle (or both) and forget to JUST DO IT. It's so much more beneficial to do any exercise than it is to do none! At the same time, do not OVERDO it.
For most of us, health is the more important concern, and any "cardio" you do is going to be of benefit.
Activity is an important key to health, provided you are eating a balanced, nutritious diet.
I love the cardio health calculator and all of the good information available on this website!
