What is 'cardio'

Jun 3, 2021

 by Blair Rockoff

The word "cardio" is tossed around quite a lot when it comes to health and fitness. Typically we think of running, biking, rowing or any steady-state repetitive exercise as "cardio", but cardiorespiratory training is more than that! Here are some things you should know about this kind of training and how you can work it into your routine.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness refers to the body's ability to supply oxygen-rich blood to the muscles during continuous physical activity. If you're looking to increase your cardiovascular fitness you'll want to progress your training over time to force the body to become more effecient. Increased cardiovascular fitness can improve your endurance while doing everyday activites (think walking upstairs or playing with your kids, for example), and is also important for most types of exercise and training. It's recommended that we get about 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise each week. This means bringing our heart rate to 55-70% of your maximum heart rate.

Find out how to calculate your max heart rate here: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates

If 150 minutes seems like a lot on top of your current routine, not to worry! You may already be getting more cardiovascular training than you think. Lots of different activities can get your heart rate up into that target zone - including resistance training when done circuit-style. Include a short jog, bike ride, or row before and after your workout and you're logging some solid time training your cardiorespiratory system and improving your overall health.