Cardiovascular fitness can be defined as the ability of the heart to pump blood and oxygen throughout the body efficiently. As your cardiovascular fitness improves, you'll be able to walk farther and train longer. In addition, cardiovascular fitness has a number of health benefits: reduced risk of heart disease and stroke; helps lose weight; reduce the risk of osteoporosis (reduced bone density); and improve cognition. Follow these tips to measure and improve cardiovascular fitness, whether you're a top athlete or just starting a workout routine.
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Part 1 of 4: Measuring Initial Fitness Level
Step 1. Determine your initial fitness level to find out how often and how hard you can train
The lower your fitness level, the slower your process of implementing your workout routine will be, but you can see improvements quickly. If you are very fit, you will have to work really hard to improve your cardiovascular fitness even further.
Step 2. Determine how your current fitness state is
Before setting your maximum heart rate – important information for planning an efficient workout – you must first determine your overall fitness level. Remember to start the exercise slowly with a low count. Do not overdo the exercise at the beginning of the program. This step is important to prevent injury and allow the body to adjust.
- Poor fitness – If you haven't exercised at all, or haven't exercised in the past eight weeks. Remember, even if you are thin, there is always a chance that you have a bad cardiovascular condition.
- Average Fitness – You participate in aerobic activities, such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, rowing, and so on, 3 times a day for 20 minutes.
- Very Good Fitness – You run or walk at least 8 km per week, and do regular training sessions for a total of more than 1 hour per week.
Step 3. Calculate the maximum heart rate (MHR)
MHR, as it stands for, is the highest heart rate during exercise. This number provides the basic information for establishing the range of heart rates you want to achieve while training, and this number is different for different sports; highest scores were achieved for running and lower scores for cycling and swimming.
- The traditional way to calculate MHR is to subtract 220 from your age. For example, if you are 40 years old, subtract 220 by 40 for a maximum heart rate of 180. However, this method can be inaccurate at 20 beats per minute (bpm). If you want to do some serious training, use a method that will give you a more accurate count.
- Try the “best fit” formula developed by HeartZones training to find the maximum heart rate for running training: 210 minus 50% age minus 5% body weight (in pounds) plus 4 for boys and 0 for girls For example, a man aged A 40 year old weighing 200 pounds (90.7 kg) would have an MHR as follows: 210 - 20 (50% x age) - 10 (5% x body weight) + 4 = 184.
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Or try the following formula which also takes into account physical condition and type of activity: 217 - (0.85 x age)
- Reduce 3 heart rates for athletes who are in very good shape and under 30.
- Add 2 heart beats for a 50-year-old athlete in excellent fitness.
- Add 4 heart rates for athletes who are in excellent fitness and 55 years of age or older.
- Subtract 3 heart rates for rowing training.
- Reduce 5 heart rates for cycling training.
Step 4. Test your maximum heart rate with the SubMax test
To get very accurate results, you'll need to have an MHR pressure test, but if you're in poor fitness, doing a maximum heart rate test will be difficult and possibly dangerous. Instead, try calculating the average of the following tests and one of the formulas above.
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1.5 Km Test Walk – Get on the track and run 4 laps without stopping as fast as you can, but stay comfortable. During the last lap, count your heart rate four times (keep walking as you do it), or use a heart rate monitor to determine your average heart rate. Add the following numbers to the resulting average:
- +40 bpm for poor fitness.
- +50 bpm for average fitness.
- +60 bpm for excellent fitness.
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3 Minute Steps Test - Use steps that are approximately 20 cm high. Begin to step up and down the steps in a series of four counts: right foot up, left up, right down, left down. Count up, up, down, down for one set, and do 20 sets per minute for 2 minutes. Monitor your heart rate for the third minute. Add the following numbers to your average heart rate over the last minute:
- +55 bpm for poor fitness.
- +65 bpm for average fitness.
- +75 bpm for excellent fitness.
Step 5. Perform a maximum heart rate pressure test to get the most accurate number
You can ask your doctor for help to supervise the test, or in the United States you can pay around $75-100 (Rp975,000-1,300,000) to perform an ACSM-certified Exercise Test Technologist. Alternatively, you can perform one of the following tests:
- 800 Meter Track Test – Wear a heart rate monitor for this test. Run 400 meters (1 lap) or slightly below maximum speed (90-95% of MHR calculated using one of the formulas above). For the second 400m run, run as fast as you can. Record your maximum heart rate on the second lap. (Be aware that very fit athletes may have to repeat the test after jogging for a few minutes to get a true MHR).
- Hill Test – Look for a hill that takes about 2 minutes to climb by running, and is steep enough that you'll be gasping for air when you reach the top. Start the test with a run of about 5 minutes from a hill. Start with a slow run, then gradually increase your speed until you're running fast (85% of your MHR calculated using one of the formulas above) when you reach the bottom of the hill. Try to maintain the same speed as you climb the hill. Record the highest heart rate as you run towards the top of the hill.
Part 2 of 4: Getting Started with Aerobic Exercise
Step 1. Choose the aerobic exercise that you enjoy the most
Doing the exercises will be easier, and you will get better results if you choose an aerobic exercise that you enjoy. Add a variety of exercises to your routine so your body never gets too comfortable and gets used to just one type of exercise. That way you will continue to change and improve. Aerobic activities that can improve cardiovascular health include:
- On foot.
- Jog or run.
- Bicycle.
- Swimming.
- aerobics.
- Row.
- Climbing up the stairs.
- hiking.
- Cross country run.
- Dance.
Step 2. Vary the length of the workout according to your fitness level
As you get fitter, you'll need to train longer and more often to continue improving your cardiovascular fitness.
- If your fitness is bad, start with 10-15 minutes of exercise, 3 days per week.
- If your fitness is average, start with 30 minutes of exercise, 3-5 days per week.
- If your fitness is very good, start with 30-60 minutes of exercise, 5-7 days a week.
- Doing high-impact activities such as running, dancing, or aerobics more than 5 days per week can lead to an increased risk of injury. Choose 2 or 3 activities that use different muscles and movements, and be sure to alternate high and low impact activities.
Step 3. Adjust exercise intensity based on heart rate
When doing continuous aerobic exercise, try to keep your heart rate within the target zone to maximize the benefits you can get from the workout.
- If you're in poor fitness, start by aiming for a heart rate below 145 beats per minute.
- When doing moderate-intensity exercise, try to maintain your heart rate between 60% and 75% of your maximum heart rate. Start with this number if your fitness is average.
- When doing high-intensity exercise, try to maintain a heart rate between 80% and 95% of your maximum heart rate.
Step 4. Don't forget to warm up and cool down
Warming up helps prevent injury and helps the body transition from a low metabolic state (burning fewer calories per minute) to a high metabolic state (burning more calories per minute) efficiently). Cooling helps restore blood flowing to working muscles into normal circulation, and reduces pain and the potential for cramping.
- Warm Up – Do a lower intensity exercise for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also stretch after warming up. When you start your workout, gradually increase the intensity until you're training within your target heart rate range.
- Cool-down – After completing the aerobic exercise that has become your workout routine, gradually reduce the speed. For example, if you're running, slow down and then walk for 5 to 10 minutes. If you're cycling, reduce your pedaling speed and resistance for the last 5-10 minutes. After cooling down is a great time to stretch to improve overall flexibility.
Step 5. Slowly increase the intensity of the exercise
Muscles and joints need more time to adapt to the stresses of exercise than the heart and lungs. So, to avoid injury, don't increase your workout time or distance by more than 10-20% each week. For example, if you start a training session of 10 minutes, add only 1 or 2 minutes a week for the first few weeks, even if you feel you can make progress more quickly. Adding too much exercise, or any type of exercise too quickly can lead to overtraining and can lead to injury and even illness.
Part 3 of 4: Making the Most of Exercise
Step 1. Perform exercises with varying levels of intensity to maximize progress
Current research shows that the fastest way to improve cardiovascular fitness is to combine large portions of long-distance, moderate-intensity exercise with occasional high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and continuous, high-intensity exercise because all these exercises target different aspects of fitness.
Step 2. Use moderate-intensity distance training to build endurance
In this type of exercise, you should train at a steady pace that maintains your heart rate at 60-75% of your maximum heart rate for the duration of the exercise. This kind of exercise is most effective at increasing the amount of blood the heart can pump with each beat. This is an important factor in improving cardiovascular fitness.
- If you're in poor fitness, start with 10-15 minutes of moderate-intensity distance training, 3 times a week, then add one to two minutes each week until you reach 30 minutes of interval training.
- Those who are in good shape need to do 30-minute training sessions, 3 times a week to improve cardiovascular fitness.
Step 3. Do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to quickly increase your aerobic capacity
One of the great advantages of HIIT is that it can be completed in a short amount of time. Research shows that HIIT is more effective than moderate-intensity exercise in lowering blood pressure, increasing lactate threshold (the intensity of exercise that triggers a sudden increase in blood lactate levels) and increasing peak oxygen intake (the amount of oxygen you take in while exercising). Before doing HIIT, make sure you warm up, then do high-intensity interval training at 85-95% of your maximum heart rate.
- Don't do HIIT more than two days a week.
- HIIT should only be done after you have developed a good foundation of cardiovascular fitness. You should be able to do 30 minutes of moderate-intensity distance training.
- Start with 4 short 60-90 second intervals at 85-95% MHR, with active recovery for 1 to 2 minutes at 60-70% MHR in between intervals. For example, if you're practicing running, you'll need to alternate between sprints and slow runs.
- Perform four 4-minute interval training exercises with 3 minutes of active recovery.
Step 4. Use continuous, high-intensity exercise to achieve the best level of fitness
When training at a high speed, the body does not absorb enough oxygen to produce energy in the usual way. As a result of energy production with low oxygen there is an accumulation of lactic acid. Lactic acid builds up in your muscles quickly, limiting your ability to produce high levels of performance. Continuous, high-intensity exercise increases oxygen uptake, thereby increasing your lactate threshold so you can push yourself further.
- Don't do continuous, high-intensity workouts unless you're very fit.
- For a continuous, high-intensity training session, do it for 25-50 minutes, while maintaining your heart rate at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate.
Part 4 of 4: Using Technology to Improve Fitness
Step 1. Use technology to help you avoid deviating from your goals
Heart rate monitors have evolved a lot! The tool can now track steps, heart rate, nutrition, sleep patterns and more. Utilizing these tools can be a powerful way to customize your workout and change it to suit your body's needs. In addition to heart rate monitors, there are a variety of different tools that can help you set and meet your training goals. Studies show that smartphone apps and exercise trackers can help improve fitness.
Step 2. Purchase a heart rate monitor
To have an effective workout, having a heart rate monitor is very important.
- Chest-wrapped monitors are the most accurate. The monitor is wrapped around the chest, and is usually wirelessly connected to the watch on the wrist.
- Now there are also various watches that are equipped with heart rate monitors. Wristwatches are more comfortable than chest-mounted monitors, but despite the rapid development of watches like this one, they are still less accurate at measuring heart rate during exercise.
Step 3. Use a smartphone app to track workouts
Motivation is a major factor in improving cardiovascular fitness. Exercise tracker apps on smartphones have been shown to increase motivation and provide similar results as if you were going to the gym regularly. This app can do a lot of things from suggesting workouts, tracking progress during a running session, to providing the facility to log workouts.
Step 4. Use a fitness tracker to motivate you
A fitness tracker is a device you wear on your body, and it tracks the number of steps you take, the number of stairs you climb, and in some cases, your heart rate as well. This app lets you set goals that you want to achieve each day. This has been shown to promote increased activity and thus improve cardiovascular health. For those just starting a fitness routine, this app can provide an easy way to make sure you're getting the workout you need.
