Cardio-Vascular Exercises

When you want to find the best cardio activity for you, consider your personal preferences as well as your body. If you hate getting hot and sweaty during a workout, then running is probably not for you. If you like trying new workouts that keep you engaged and entertained, consider an instructor-led belly dancing class. People who prefer to exercise alone should probably just avoid the gym during busy hours. If you have bad joints, avoid high impact classes like step aerobics and kick boxing. Everyone is different, not just in personality but in body as well, and that can mean great things in terms of workouts. There is a huge variety of exercises that burn serious calories and you’re sure to find one that appeals to you. To burn fat and reshape your body, you can’t beat cardiovascular exercise. The five important cardio-vascular exercises are:

1. Swimming and Water Aerobics
Swimming should be the king of all workouts for its user-friendly status and low stress on the body. If you fit in three 45-minute swimming workouts every week, you will see major changes in your body in just two to three weeks. Freestyle is good but you burn far more calories when you mix it up and challenge the body to respond.

2. Power Walking (at home)
A power walking life up to its name and requires you to put out a lot more power than a stroll around the block. In power walking, you swing your arms back and forth as you walk briskly – this helps to burn calories as well as propel you through your walk faster. Increasing the speed will boost your calorie burn even higher. An excellent variation for a power walking routine is to add arm movements a few days per week. As you walk briskly, raise your arms overhead and bring back down to the pace of your walk. This can seriously raise your heart rate and increase your fat burn.

3. Power Walking (at the gym)
Power walking at the gym is as easy as hopping on the nearest programmable treadmill and setting off. If you are not sure how to program the treadmill, ask a trainer or knowledgeable friend to show you how. You should choose a walking route that includes inclines and changes to surprise and challenge your muscles. Use the same variation from the home power walking and add arm movements to increase heart rate and calorie burn.

4. Belly Dancing
Belly dancing won’t burn quite as many calories as swimming or power walking, but for sheer fun and novelty this workout can’t be beat. Belly dancing has become wildly popular across the nation in the past few years and nearly all gyms offer at least one class for interested parties. You will work your hips, thighs and waistline in a typical class as well as increase your aerobic capacity. And who knows, your belly dancing skill might come in handy some day!

5. Ashtanga Yoga
The most physical form of yoga is Ashtanga yoga, which uses the same traditional yoga poses but incorporates powerful aerobic conditioning at the same time. You will move quickly and powerfully in a fast-paced routine that is led by a certified instructor who is experienced in moves that boost your heart rate and burn the calories.