Blog – June – Cardiovascular 🫀 Health
We are all trying to map ourselves through life, would you not agree?
So we want to learn and understand what works for us as an individual to take care of our mind and body functions
So let’s look at the benefits of taking care of our bodies physical health, physiology and Anatomy.
Benefits to Cardio exercise
Quick science physiology and Anatomy bit, you know it, yet let’s summarise and recap together.
Functions of the cardiovascular system
Circulates OXYGEN and removes Carbon Dioxide. Provides cells with NUTRIENTS. Removes the waste products of metabolism to the excretory organs for disposal. Protects the body against disease and infection. Clotting stops bleeding after injury. The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, lungs, veins, arteries, and capillaries. These components make up two circulatory systems: the systemic and pulmonary circulatory systems.
What is the benefit of a healthy cardiovascular system?
A healthy cardiovascular system means a healthy heart and excellent blood circulation throughout the body. Good blood circulation facilitates good lung function, so you will feel energised. Yes, exercising for 30 minutes, five days a week can be a good starting point for general health and can contribute to weight loss. However, the effectiveness of this routine depends on various factors such as the intensity of your workouts, your diet, metabolism, and overall lifestyle.
Is 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week enough?
The Physical Activity Guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Public Health England recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity—think of it as 30 minutes, five days a week—for all adults, even the elderly and disabled (19 Feb 2023) And this is so achievable people…come on! 30 mins is not that long, so make a pact today to fit into your daily routine schedule. If you think about the overall well-being benefit it will have on your health. A lot has been said about the amount of cardiovascular activity one needs. Some people believe you need at least 1 hour of cardio a day, while others suggest that only thirty minutes is enough.
But which of the two is correct?
Well more is better, yes , let’s start somewhere right! Today we will evaluate the effects of getting 30 mins of cardio a day. You may have heard that performing thirty mins of cardio a day could be a game-changer as it is linked to several health benefits. We will look at these benefits and evaluate the impact of getting 30 mins of cardio according to science. Most importantly, we will highlight its effect on weight loss. Let us get started.
More cardio more benefits to our body…
Mechanics – makes our main muscles life support systems, the heart and lungs stronger. Which then ensures a more efficient blood supply to our bodies tissues etc so basically better blood circulation.
Metabolic Rate – Studies have also shown that increased cardiovascular endurance significantly increases a metabolic hormone called fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). FGF21 plays a role in many significant bodily functions, including regulating fatty acid oxidation in the liver and improving overall metabolic health. This means in more simplified terms, your body will become more efficient at burning calories and using those extra calories for energy to keep you going.
Mind – productively – happy endorphins. So cardio will pump up your endorphins. Physical activity is proven to help bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner’s high, any aerobic activity, such as a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike, can contribute to this same feeling. So join a cardio based class with myself or join a Walk&Tone UK walking group, or one of our jogging groups. ‘’What a buzz’’ is our feedback.
Longevity– Meeting the minimum for moderate and vigorous activity can reduce cardiovascular disease mortality by 22% to 31%. A separate study published in JAMA Oncology shows that small amounts of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity were associated with lower cancer and other life threatening diseases. Overall, regular exercise remains to be the most prominent life-style intervention in improving healthspan with regard to the mental/neurological function.
Immunity– How does cardio help your immune system? Not only does exercise get the immune cells moving throughout the body during activity, but it also promotes a lasting presence of these immune cells for up to three hours after exercise is completed. This provides extra time for the immune cells to identify unwanted intruders and keep you from getting sick, picking up those unwanted infections knocking about, colds, flu, tummy bugs. No thank you! Move along!
Maintain healthy BMI– Does cardio help BMI? Exercise is one of the key ways in which you can actively reduce your BMI (Body Mass Index). Note that to ensure you do lose weight as a result of exercise, you will need to ensure that your diet does not contain excess calories which could prevent your exercise from bringing your body weight down. Best exercises to help reduce BMI: Cycling is a well-known workout that boosts fitness and can aid in weight loss and lowering overall BMI. Brisk walking is ideal for beginners (join us 5K Walk&Tone UK) who are just starting to add working out to their routine. Running you can start with a light jog, walk, light jog and build from there. Go dancing, build cardiovascular fitness while living the music and moving those hips.
Energy– Exercising also boosts oxygen circulation inside your body. This increase in oxygen not only supports the mitochondria’s energy production, it allows your body to function better and to use its energy more efficiently.
Better sleep – The levels of chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, stress hormones and endorphins, change when you exercise. Regular exercise can help you sleep better. And good sleep helps you manage your mood. Exercise can improve your sense of control, coping ability and self-esteem. Good quality sleep is essential to our bodies rebooting itself, our productivity the next day in our working days, alongside its importance or repairing our bodies entirely while we switch off peacefully each night.
So how shall I go about starting this new venture of a ‘flow’ of exercise lifestyle change of 30 minutes into my daily routines?
Well, in my experience of being in the WELL-BEING industry, I hear a lot of people’s excuses to one-selves, the noise in the mind telling you why you can’t? (Negative) ‘I have family/children taking up my time’ well why not get them involved. Think out of the box. I am too tired, do it and you feel less tired, it will give you an injection of energy to get your heart pumping with some cardio working out. The note of encouragement here is simple… if we don’t look after ourselves then we will be less productive to others in a nutshell. REMEMBER… No two people are the same, no two bodies are the same. So I ask you to not ‘compare’ or think what works for one means works for all. Anything is something, be proud of you. On that note I suggest you/we dedicate our 30 mins (or more) cardio day to a designed goal setting hit-list carefully thought out by ‘yours truly’ as u know you best! ‘I’ or an instructor you may benefit from in a cardio based fitness class will inevitably guide you on a journey of well-being to benefit your body and mind and this is of course priceless. Yet why don’t you go away and get started with a self plan to embark on a journey to get more cardiovascular fitness and health….
Points to keep in mind when designing your program include:
Consider your goals
Think about your likes and dislikes.
Plan a logical progression of activity
Build activity into your daily routine
Think about variety, lots of things can pick up the heart rate, tennis match with your teenager, squash with your partner/hubby, brisk walking, jogging, cardio fitness based class. The list is endless. Think about it!
Allow time for recovery after exercising and make sure you have an adequate healthy diet.
Put it all on paper (old skool, yes paper, physically write it down, engage with it) and reference it as you move forward.
Signing off now from June’s cardio blog, thank you for investing in me and reading. I am pleased to say we have had a wonderful month within the month of May with Flow Fitness classes and Walk&Tone UK. Yet before we sign off, I would like to finish with that mindset builder.
How to feel happier everyday…
Practising positivity is about nurturing an optimistic attitude remember – embracing the present moment as if it was your last.
Last month started with the ‘A’ this month it’s ‘B’ B is for BELIEVE (The a-z of positivity, Anna Barnes 2023) Simple this one and very in par with this months blog, believe in yourself to embark on a new journey or chapter of your book (life story as I like to reflect on mine) within your life to make positive impacting changes on your well-being with adding a new routine in everyday to get moving and get your cardio levels pumping. The self-belief will carry you through new situations and challenges with a can-do attitude, bringing you one step closer to realising your day to day or lifetime goals. As you set out to get what you really want in life!
‘’Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit’’ (E.E. Cummings)
Have a great June ahead everyone and let’s hope the sun keeps shining. Look forward to continuously meeting you in classes or walks throughout.
Big love 🧡
