Cardiovascular Basics
Cardiovascular exercise should be simple, safe, and straightforward. It should not be complicated, scary, or over the top. It’s truthfully about moving, and that’s it! It’s really a rhythmic and/or repetitive motion using large muscle groups that elevate the heart rate- swimming, biking, walking, cardio machines at the gym and even something like tennis. There is the use of weights for cardio exercise, but that is not what I am discussing here. That does not fall under the category of “basics”.
The VERY first thing to take into consideration for ANY exercise are orthopedic issues. If you have a goal or want to do a certain activity, you must first mind any issue the body is having – knee pain, a stiff back, etc… You will work within those parameters first as you take into consideration what is mentioned in the next part of this article. Getting a Kinesiogram™ is recommended.
While there are government guidelines to gain a healthy heart and body, I am not going to discuss that here. This is a ” for you, by you” article….. a starting point to see what it yields.
CARDIO BASICS #1: Frequency (how many days a week) – There are 7 days in a week, and 4 days is on the “upside” of 7. This makes it a great place to start. However, that may be too much depending on the situation. Something is better than nothing. However, to gain some traction both physically and mentally, it’s best to start with at least 3 days a week spaced out. (Eg: Mon-Wed-Sat). For those doing more days a week, don’t do more than 3 days of cardio in a row. Remember, this is not just about the heart and lungs – you must take into consideration joint health and connective tissue condition. We all have goals and we want them yesterday, but being very calculated and conservative is a must when starting a program.
CARDIO BASICS #2: Duration (how long the exercise bout is) – Again, there are guidelines for heart health, etc, but personal factors must take priority when considering the amount of time you will exercise – things like past experience and current conditioning. Again, to gain some traction both physically and mentally, it would be best to start with at least 15 minutes. The goal would be to work up to 45 minutes. When adding time, 5 minute increments are usually safe and effective. I have had clients add just 2 or 3 minutes due to medical and physical conditions. It’s all about customization. It would be best to add time and then stay with that time for at least 2 weeks before adding more time again. The ‘rules’ section below will discuss how to manipulate this parameter along with the other 2.
CARDIO BASICS #3: Intensity (how hard you need to work) – For cardio basics, I am talking about steady state cardio where the response of heart rate and breathing is staying at an even place (as opposed to interval training). To start, keep the intensity where you can hold a conversation. You can manipulate a machine setting, pace, or terrain to increase or decrease intensity. I will now discuss how to manipulate #1-3 to progress.
MICHELE’S CARDIO ‘RULES’ TO PROGRESS – Let me use an example to illustrate how to go about progressing your program. Let’s say you start a walking program 3 days a week for 20 minutes on a flat surface and can still hold a conversation – you would do this for at least 2 weeks. Then you can make the next progression which would be to increase the frequency to 4 days a week. After you have achieved 4 days a week for 20 minutes with no issues for 2 weeks, you can then increase the duration to 25 minutes, 4 days a week for 2 weeks. Then, if there are no issues, you can keep increasing your time every 2 weeks until you get to at least 40 minutes, 4 days a week with the same intensity (pace and terrain/level on machine). Then, it’s at this point (about 10-12 weeks), that you can start manipulating everything – adding a day, but then maybe taking it back to 35 minutes to make sure the load is ok. It can be taking the intensity up a bit with a route that has small hills or maybe just walking faster. The golden rule is still, when you change a parameter, keep it that way for at least 2 weeks.
The reason is, you want to “shake out” any issues the new change to your routine may produce. If you add a day, increase the time, AND start going up hills all at once and you get hurt and feel discouraged, you are not sure what parameter to attribute this setback to. Be methodical about your plan. DO NOT let your head get in the way with things like, “I need to lose 25 lbs NOW”, or “geez, I used to be able to run 7 miles” – just be in the moment and honor where you are at and know that your past successes will help you as long as you keep the right frame of mind.
Lastly, cardiovascular exercise is repetitive in nature. If you are not biomechanically sound (or not sure if you are), getting a Kinesiogram™ is really the only way you will know. If you are not aligned properly, this can have a negative affect on your exercise efforts. Your body is basically repeating faulty movement patterns with each move you make and that endangers soft connective tissue (fascia) and joint health. I invite you to get your Kinesiogram™ today to find out how your body is actually aligned, what that is doing to your biomechanics, and get a corrective exercise program to make the most of your cardiovascular routine.
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