THOMAS COLLEGE

Introduction to:

                  Cardiovascular fitness can be defined simply as your body's ability to get oxygen and blood to the muscles efficiently.   

• When you do physical activity and your pulse quickens and your breathing gets deeper, you are using your cardiovascular system.
  • “Cardio” = Heart
  • “Vascular” = Pertaining to blood vessels

• You can improve your cardiovascular system's efficiency through regular training.
  • Your heart is a muscle.  You cannot strengthen that muscle by lifting weights, as you might other skeletal muscles. 

• In order to “exercise” your heart muscle you must get it beating faster. 

• The stronger your heart muscle is = the lower your resting heart rate (RHR) is.  Your RHR is how fast your heart beats when your body is at rest – this figure is a measure of cardiovascular fitness

• If your heart is strong, it does not have to “work” as hard to efficiently deliver adequate amounts of blood (carrying oxygen) to your body’s muscles. 

A “fit” heart rate is like a golf score…lower is better!

How much Cardio do I need?

 Your heart rate is your guide for cardiovascular exercise intensity

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For improving cardiovascular fitness in general, three or four times per week for 20 to 40 minutes per session (depending on your current level of fitness) within your Target Heart Rate Zone will yield good results.

What is the Target Heart Rate Zone?

Your Target Heart Rate Zone is the range of heart beats per minute at which you should work at in order to best achieve cardiovascular fitness

CALCULATING YOUR TARGET HEART RATE TRAINING ZONE USING THE KARVONEN FORMULA

Let's take a look at this simple formula using Susie B. Fitt:

Step 1: Susie will need to know the following:

• Her age…..let’s say she is 21
• Resting heart rate (RHR) – Susie finds this by taking her pulse and counting the beats per minute for one full minute as soon as she rises out of bed in the morning. (The average resting heart rate for men is 70 beats per minute while women have an average of 75 beats per minute.)

Step 2: Calculate age predicted Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)

• 220 – age = predicted max heart rate(MHR)
  220 – 21 = 199

Step 3: Calculate resting heart rate (RHR)

• True resting heart rate is taken for 1 full minute as soon as you rise out of bed. Susie's resting heart rate is about average at 72.

Step 4: Subtract resting heart rate from maximum heart rate to get heart rate reserve (HRR)

• MHR – RHR = HRR
  199 – 72 = 127

Step 5: Multiply HRR by 60 – 80% of your maximum heart rate which will set your upper and lower zone limits:

• Multiply your heart rate reserve (HHR) by 60% and 80% and add your resting heart rate back in:
• Low end of range is HRR X .60
  127 X .60 = 76.2 + 72 (RHR) = 148
• High end of range is HRR X .80
  127 X .80 = 102 + 72 (RHR) = 174

RESULT: Susie's beginning Target Heart Rate Zone is:

148 ----------------------> 174

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What activities promote cardiovascular fitness?

Aerobic Exercises: Aerobic = in the presence of oxygen.

Those activities or exercises that involve using your whole body (large muscle groups), in a rhythmic pattern, over a long period of time (minimum of 20 minutes) are considered to promote cardiovascular fitness.

As a general rule, exercises ending in “-ING” (and meeting the criteria stated above) are aerobic in nature.

Running                                  Hiking       

Walking                                  Swimming

Jumping                                  Skipping

Cross Country Skiing             Boxing

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What are some benefits of cardiovascular fitness?

Participating in a cardiovascular fitness program can help the participant to:

- lower blood pressure
- increase HDL cholesterol
- decrease total cholesterol
- decrease body fat due to utilizing fat as energy
- increase heart function and its ability to pump more blood
- decrease stress reactions and anxiety
- reduce glucose-stimulated insulin
- increase oxygen output to body
- decrease resting heart rate
- increase cardiac output
- increase aerobic work capacity

Cardiovascular Exercises and Tips

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Michelle L. Lake, EdM Director of Recreation and Intramural Programs E-mail your comments or questions to: recdir@thomas.edu 207-859-1183 Front Desk: 207-859-1184