Any form physical training that accelerates the heart rate and stimulates the lungs is known as cardio exercise. Cardiovascular programs are used for muscle mass growth and weight loss, but opinions are divided about their efficiency. Some trainers are in favor of cardio exercise routines, others claim that they deplete the body of energy and do not lead to great results.

Everyone is right, and this seems even more confusing. A cardio exercise routine helps you maintain good heart and lungs health, as well as a general body shape. As long as you keep cardio training moderate, there shouldn’t be any problem. Besides the great physical shape, another benefit is longevity. The problem with abusing cardio training is that vital nutrients are consumed besides the body energy deposits.

Experts advise that for bodybuilding purposes, you should alternate strength training with cardio exercise training, preferably on different days. Athletes use cardio to increase the respiratory capacity and the heart resistance so as to achieve a good effort tolerance. Another aspect to take into consideration to maximize results is to train for no more than 60 minutes. A training interval longer than an hour could have damaging effects on your muscles.

You can talk to an expert to help you create a good cardio exercise routine in order to avoid mistakes and alter the overall health condition. Moreover, you should also know that some health conditions are incompatible with cardiovascular workouts. Any health condition for which effort is counter-indicated is incompatible with cardio. Even when in a perfect health condition, you should choose the exercises with utmost attention.

The most popular choices include running or jogging, stair climbing, rope jumping or aerobics. Whatever increases the heart rate matches the definition. A rather moderate cardio exercise is brisk walking. It works well because it sets all the muscles in motion, it stimulates the heart and respiratory system, but not as much as step aerobics, which is the most intense type of training in this category. Create a balanced diet and combine it with cardio exercise routines if you want to lose weight efficiently.