GET SWEATY - IT’S POSITIVELY YOU

GET SWEATY: GET YOUR HEART PUMPING

Getting hot, sweaty and out of breath might not seem like the most comfortable of past-times. But it’s certainly one of the best things you can do for your heart and lung health.

And it can give you an enormous mood boost through the release of feel good chemicals.

As with strength training for the joints and muscles, the more you challenge the heart and lungs (in a safe and effective manner), the more their condition will improve.

Broadly speaking, participating in cardio(vascular) exercise will improve how well your body takes in oxygen. It then distributes the oxygen to your organs and muscles during sustained periods of activity.

And the more efficiently your body can do this, the longer you will be able to carry on doing your favourite things before tiredness sets in.

GET SWEATY: THINK BEYOND THE DREADMILL

There’s so much more to cardio training than a stint on the dreaded treadmill (the ‘dreadmill’). The key to building a fitness habit is to find activities that you enjoy. Because then it’s a whole heap easier to stick at them!

Whether you have…

Made various attempts to add cardio exercise into your life but haven’t found the motivation to keep going

A regular cardio training habit but feel frustrated that you don’t seem to be improving

Been told that you need to start exercising to help lose weight but don’t know what to do

A fitness aspiration such as a 10km run, a triathlon or a marathon but don’t know how best to train for it

Problems climbing stairs without getting very out of puff and want to change this

…finding something that fires up your interest and starts at a level that is right for where you are now, is the best place to start.

DO WHAT MAKES YOUR HEART BEAT FASTER

It doesn’t matter what you choose as long as you enjoy it enough to stay motivated. And it taxes your body enough to bring about improvements in your heart and lung health.

Your cardiovascular system is the equivalent of your car’s engine: without regular care, attention and maintenance it will become unreliable, slow you down, reduce your power and efficiency and eventually fail you.

Focusing on what is ‘under the bonnet’ and giving your heart a regular run-out – much like you would with your car – will help you to motor through life on full power, enjoying doing the things you love for a long time to come.