Cardio Exercise Guide - The Outdoor Workout

Cardio Exercise Guide - The Outdoor Workout

The human body is a complex system made up of organs, limbs, muscles, blood, hormones and nails, among other things. In order for the body to function, you need to eat and breathe. Oxygen helps oxygenate the blood, while food nourishes the muscles and body cells so the body can grow and develop.

The heart and lungs are vital organs as they are at the center of the above activities, namely pumping oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to and from the body and inhaling and exhaling clean and stale air.

Thanks to smart devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets, people now spend far too much time on them. It's no surprise to find people sleeping with these devices next to them so they don't miss that post, tweet or WhatsApp message from a friend or loved one.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle has a negative impact on the body. To improve cardiovascular health, you need to do cardio exercises.

To swim

For many people, a swimming pool is just a place where you can throw a party and invite a few friends. For others, it's a place where you can sleep on the lounge chair and let your skin absorb the sun's rays while you sip your favorite drink.

Swimming is a great workout because it uses different limbs and muscles as you move through the water. For example, when performing a chest punch, you need to make movements with your arms, neck, and legs. This exercise helps the heart pump blood faster while the lungs take in clean air and expel stale air.

Next time you have the opportunity to stand by a pool. Don't think of it as a massive pond, but as a gateway to better health.

Go

The best thing about walking is that you can turn it into a fun activity. You don't have to go for a walk in the park or around the neighborhood if you need to exercise. The hills and forests in the countryside are perfect places for hiking. When walking, various joints such as knees, elbows and shoulders move, which improves lubrication.

For the muscles around the legs, thighs, arms and back, they not only receive nutrition from oxygenated blood, but also much-needed exercise. You can train your legs and whole body and experience nature at its best.

Run

When you run, you engage your heart and lungs just like swimming and cycling. The lungs absorb oxygen and quickly expel stale air. This is done to supply the heart with oxygenated blood as the body's cells burn energy at a high rate. Running is a cardio exercise for nature and the best part is that it allows you to push your body to the highest limits. For example, you can start jogging a mile in a day and within no time. You have the opportunity to take part in a marathon.

Ride a bike

When you ride a bike, you help boost your metabolism so your body can burn calories, which in turn fuels the cells in your muscles. With the bike you can touch your legs, your back, your elbows, your arms and your wrists. Your heart and lungs benefit from both oxygen and energy, which helps power the organs.

Final thoughts

What you need to remember is that although cardio exercises help improve your heart and lungs, you need to rest. You can train from Monday to Friday, but set aside Saturday and Sunday for rest.

Inspired by Sam Kithuka