Improving cardiovascular endurance can be done with cardiovascular endurance exercises. These help your body take in and use more oxygen in an efficient manner. This is the main type of “aerobic fitness” and is best done when you raise the intensity of your exercise for 20 minutes after warming up. Then you do cool down exercises for at least 5 minutes, then raise the intensity for another 20 minutes. This article will give you some examples and helpful tips for adding extra cardio bursts in your exercise routine.

Cardiovascular Endurance Exercises

Doing these exercises helps put your respiratory system more in sync with your cardiovascular system to improve oxygenation. Aerobic type exercises will help improve your tolerance to exercise and help you lengthen your workout sessions. Try these exercises to help:

1.    Walking Warm Up

Start off walking at a normal pace for the first 5 to 10 minutes. After you feel warmed up, speed up your steps to a brisk walk. Do this for another 5 minutes, then raise the intensity to a sprint run for another 5 minutes. Lower your intensity back to a brisk walk for 5 minutes, then slow your pace to a normal walk for the last 5 minutes. Repeat the cycle throughout your walk. You can do this on a running track by walking the corners of the track and sprinting the straightaways.

2.     Lap Swimming

Swimming is great for cardiovascular endurance and helps strengthen muscles. It is also a great calorie burning exercise. Get into the pool and doggie paddle end to end to warm up. Then begin swimming laps, taking long strokes going 50 yards, then take a rest. Then swim 100 yards, and take a rest, then swim 200 yards, and rest again.

3.    Intervals with Weights

Grab a weight rack that is close to the treadmill or stationary bikes. Grab a treadmill and do a 10 to 15 minute walking warm up. Then go to the weights and lift for 10 minutes. Go back to the treadmill and speed it up to a run for 10 minutes. Take a 5 minute cool down and walk on the treadmill. Continue to rotate between lifting weights, high intensity aerobic exercise, then cool down periods.

4.    Dancing

Dancing is really fun cardiovascular endurance exercises. If you hate cardio, but know you need it, then dancing may be the perfect thing for you. Dancing to faster music can burn more than 400 calories per hour. Your local gym may have dance type aerobic classes or you can just turn up the music right at home. There are also some great “dancersize” DVD’s.

5.    Jumping Jacks

This is an “oldie but goodie.” Jumping jacks can be part of your warm-up routine, or a cool down exercise. Stand up straight with your feet together. Hang your hands down at your side. Pull your core into your spine and jump while spreading the legs apart at the same time. In the same fluid movement bring your arms up overhead until they touch. Then, jump your feet back together while bringing your arms back down to your sides. Repeat at least 20 to 30 times.

6.    Squat Jumping

Stand with your legs spread apart. Lower into a squat while bending your knees. Raise back up into a jump. As you land, keep your feet spread and go back into the squat position. You can keep your hands clasped behind your head or out to the sides for balance. Repeat 20 times, then cool down. Then repeat another 20 times.

 Tips For Doing Cardiovascular Endurance Exercises

In order to build up endurance gradually, your body needs consistency. You will also want to take your health and safety into consideration. These tips will help practice safely and effectively:

• Always do warm up and cool down periods

If you are just starting out doing these exercises, understand that your muscles will be more prone to injury at first. Until your body learns to increase blood flow and oxygen to your muscles, warm up time is critical.

• Do both strength training and cardio on the same day

This shatters an old mold of alternating cardio with strength on different days. Combining these two in the same day is giving your body bursts to boost your metabolism. The cardio done on the days you do strength training helps to feed your muscles extra circulation so they perform better.

• Try to lift weights in a high intensity manner

If you feel your muscles are ready and warmed-up, try to pick up the pace when lifting. Start slowly and then lift rapidly. Turning strength training into a cardio exercise can build endurance quickly.

• Ditch the routine

Alternating and adding new exercises to your routine can help work different muscles. If you only do treadmill to warm-up and increase endurance, try adding the cycle a few days a week. Then switch to the rower, or stair climber. You want your muscles to lose their memory a little to avoid a “plateau.” Muscles tend to work harder at new things.

• Do some interval bursts randomly

So, you’re cruising along with your headphones on and into your routine. Well, so is your heart and muscles. This makes your body too stable and keeps your metabolism at a steady pace. Try giving your body short bursts of cardio in between to wake things up a little. Doing interval bursts are said to keep your metabolism high for up to 24 hours after exercise. It also helps to build your endurance quickly.

• Exercise during cool down or rest periods

Rest and cool down periods don’t mean actually stopping exercise. Keep moving during a rest period, just slow down your movements a notch or two. Take some time to walk around the gym, jog a few steps, do some wall push ups, and keep breaks short and sweet. You don’t want your heart to completely return to a normal rate at this point. Just a quick recharge to catch your breath.

Hope there cardiovascular endurance exercises and tips for practice help you get better in shape and healthier in body.