Cardiovascular exercise, often called cardio, is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Research shows countless undeniable benefits, including improved heart health, weight management, enhanced mental health, and a lower risk of chronic diseases. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity cardiovascular exercise per week for optimal health benefits, which may seem like a lot, but you’d be surprised at what counts as ‘cardio’—it may be easier to fit into your lifestyle than you think.
Cardiovascular exercise can be categorized into two types: non-exercise physical activity (NEPA) and structured training. NEPA includes activities you do during your regular life, such as walking the dog, cleaning, or gardening. These activities, while often overlooked, play a crucial role in maintaining our overall health and well-being. On the other hand, structured cardio exercise includes high-intensity or steady-state activities, such as running, cycling, or swimming, which are typically performed to improve fitness.
To learn more about the benefits of cardiovascular exercise, read on for the insights of Dr. Trevor Gillum, a professor of kinesiology and the program director of exercise science at California Baptist University (CBU) in Riverside, California. He teaches exercise physiology, exercise testing and prescription, clinical exercise physiology, research design and evaluation in kinesiology, and sports nutrition.
Supports heart health
Cardiovascular exercise has a profound impact on heart health.
As Gillum puts it, “Exercise completely remodels the heart. Our hearts become bigger and stronger. We can pump more blood each time our heart beats.”
This heart remodeling from regular cardiovascular exercise leads to physiological changes that enhance the heart’s efficiency and capacity.
In addition to making your heart bigger and stronger, cardiovascular exercise also improves the flexibility of blood vessels.
Gillum explains, “Our blood vessels are better able to stretch and expand as we engage in exercise training.”
This increased vascular flexibility helps treat and prevent hypertension, a common condition that can lead to serious health complications if left unchecked.
Helps achieve and maintain healthy body weight
The relationship between cardiovascular exercise and body weight is a complex one. Gillum explains that weight loss is a function of burning more calories than one consumes. While exercise can facilitate this process (i.e., it burns calories), it’s often unsuccessful. This is because exercise causes us to become hungry, a phenomenon called compensatory eating. Compensatory eating refers to increased hunger that causes you to reach for more snacks or eat larger meals after exercise, a habit that can offset the calories burned during your workout.
Despite this, Gillum stresses the importance of exercise beyond weight loss: “We should all engage in meaningful exercise, regardless of whether or not this achieves weight loss, because this results in profound health benefits.”
In fact, regular cardio has been shown to improve body composition in those new to exercise by increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat, even without significant overall weight loss.
However, the frustration of not seeing weight loss results on the scale can lead some people to stop exercising altogether.
“This is often frustrating for many people who feel like they’re ‘working hard’ but don’t get the weight loss results they want. Thus, they stop exercising. While this is very short-sighted, the psychology is easy to understand,” says Gillium.
It’s wise to remember exercise benefits extend far beyond the scale, contributing to your overall physical and mental wellbeing in many ways.
Improves mental health
Everyone is hopeful for a fountain of youth for the memory and quick-thinking skills that seem increasingly challenging over the years. Cardio has a big impact on mental health and cognitive function.
“A growing body of evidence suggests that exercise can inhibit the age-associated declines in cognitive challenges. People who are more active through life decrease their risk of cognitive impairments in their advanced years,” says Gillum.
Research supports this, showing that regular physical activity can help maintain cognitive function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline as you age.
While feeling down, stressed, or out of sorts can make sticking to a fitness routine challenging, it pays off. Gillum explains exercise treats anxiety and depression as effectively as pharmaceutical interventions, according to most research, without the unwanted side effects of the meds.
“When we exercise, our serotonin and dopamine levels are positively impacted, and most folks feel better after exercise,” Gillum adds.
Numerous studies have found that regular cardiovascular exercise can help manage and even alleviate symptoms of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Better respiratory health
A common misconception is that exercise can make our lungs bigger or stronger. In reality, your lungs are already well-equipped to handle the increased demand for oxygen during exercise. The relationship between cardiovascular exercise and respiratory health is often misunderstood, according to Gillum, who explains there’s no objective evidence to suggest that our lungs become bigger or stronger as we exercise.
“Most scientists believe that our lungs are ‘overbuilt for exercise,’ meaning they are not a limiting factor when it comes to exercise. Thus, very few adaptations occur in our lungs as we exercise.”
The real benefit of cardiovascular exercise lies in its ability to improve the efficiency of the entire respiratory system. Regular exercise can enhance the ability of your lungs to draw in more air and of your heart and blood vessels to transport oxygen to muscles more effectively.
Wards off chronic diseases
Cardiovascular exercise plays a significant role in managing and preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Gillum explains: “We have a saying: ‘Exercise is medicine.’ There are scores of data demonstrating that a single bout of exercise lowers blood pressure and regulates blood glucose in the hours following the exercise bout.” He adds that few people who regularly engage in meaningful exercise throughout their lives will develop diabetes.
One reason is that the muscles are the biggest disposer of blood glucose. Thus, the more you use them, the more glucose they need.
“As we age, we lose muscle mass, and this helps explain why diabetes is often more prevalent in an older population,” Gillum adds.
Regular cardiovascular exercise is vital in managing blood pressure and blood glucose levels, which are important factors in preventing and managing chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Regular exercise can help lower blood pressure and regulate blood glucose levels, reducing the risk of these conditions.
Gillum’s saying, “Exercise is medicine,” represents how regular physical activity can profoundly impact health, comparable to the effects of many pharmaceutical interventions. Exercise is powerful for preventing and managing chronic diseases and should be a first-line ‘prescription’ in healthcare.
How to incorporate cardio into your lifestyle
Incorporating cardiovascular exercise into your lifestyle is one of the most beneficial decisions you can make for your health. Here are a few ways you can start adding more movement to your day.
One effective strategy is to use ‘exercise snacks‘ to break up periods of inactivity. This concept involves performing short bouts of exercise throughout the day rather than one long workout. Research has shown that these ‘snacks’ of exercise can be just as effective in improving health and fitness as longer workouts.
A popular method of exercise snacking is the 30-30-30 method, which is different than the TikTok famous routine of the same name (which is also an excellent way to boost your daily movement). This involves 30 seconds of high-intensity exercise, followed by 30 seconds of rest, repeated 30 times. This method can be easily incorporated into your day, whether during a lunch break, before dinner or even during TV commercial breaks.
If you’re like many people and are less inclined to stick to higher-intensity forms of exercise, another approach to try is ‘cozy cardio,’ which involves performing low-intensity exercises in the comfort of your home. Ideas include activities like yoga, Pilates or even dancing to your favorite music. Cozy cardio can be a great way to stay active, especially during colder months when outdoor activities may be less appealing.
For even more impact, consider taking your exercise outdoors. Exercising in nature, whether it’s a structured activity such as a brisk walk in the park, a hike in the woods or a swim in the ocean, or as part of your daily life (walking your pup or playing with your kids at the park), can provide additional mental health benefits. Being in nature can reduce stress, improve mood and enhance feelings of wellbeing, making your workout even more beneficial.
†These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.