The Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise

Although there is a big focus on weight loss in the fitness industry, the truth is that cardio exercises like running, swimming and cycling actually do more for your heart than they do for your waistline. After all, weight loss is all about calories and making sure that your body burns more than you consume. Here at BookitZone, we recognise the importance that running holds in many people’s lives and in this blog we have decided to go over a few benefits of cardiovascular exercise…

Heart Health

The heart is a muscle just like any other in the body, and this means that it is important that you carry out activity that will enable it to become strong. Luckily, cardiovascular activity can do just that! After all, as your heart beats faster it forces your arteries and ventricles to react to the increased blood flow and become stronger overtime. In fact, if you are active during your early years then you are less likely to suffer from things like angina, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arties) and a heart attack.

Hormones

Scientists have concluded that exercise releases ‘feel-good’ hormones that can actually help improve our mood. As a result, those who dread going for a run are more likely to have a better outlook on life later on because their body has been releasing hormones that alleviate stress, depression and fatigue. In fact, these benefits are why doctors are always recommending exercise to their patients!

Recovery

Runners who are new to the world of fitness may not know about Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), which comes about the day after a vigorous workout. With this said, regularly partaking in cardiovascular exercise can actually improve your recovery time as the muscles are fitted with oxygen-rich blood in order to help repair and rebuild the fibres at a faster pace.

It is widely known in the fitness industry that you ‘can’t out-train your diet’ and this means that no amount of cardiovascular activity will help you lose weight if you do not consume a healthy and calorie controlled diet. After all, the average person will burn 250 calories per hour in the gym and this is the equivalent of just one doughnut! Here at BookitZone, we have a wide range of running events that are perfect for those who want to improve their cardiovascular health. To find out more information, get in contact with a member of the team today!