Do you know what your most important muscle is? I heart you! Yes, it is your heart. It is the center of everything in your body, where your blood pumps to and from; it is what beats everyday, proving that we are full of life. It is only normal that most of our exercising focuses on maintaining this important muscle in good functioning form. 

 
It is the ability of your lungs to provide enough oxygen to your heart so that your oxygenated blood flows through to all your cells and helps them regenerate. It also pertains to your body’s ability to endure an activity over a certain period of time, therefore also called muscular endurance. 

 
Both aerobic and anaerobic exercises work on improving Cardiovascular Fitness. Aerobic exercise, such as running, fast walking, aerobics, cycling and active sports, strengthens the cardiovascular system as it works on the larger muscles over a sustained period and requires more oxygen.

In contrast, anaerobic exercise, such as weightlifting, sprints and climbing, does not require much oxygen, but they do use up the glucose in your blood. Anaerobic exercise is a high-intensity activity over a short period of time.

Aerobic exercise gives you overall toning while it strengthens your cardiovascular system. Hence it can help lower blood pressure and improve circulation and reduce your risks of cardiovascular disease.
Anaerobic exercise keeps your muscles in good health, and tends to improve bone strength. 

 
A cardiovascular Fitness program can help you among other things:
 

• Lower your blood pressure and increase oxygen supply
• Strengthen your heart and lungs
• Improve cholesterol levels
• Increase your bone density
• Improve blood circulation
• Lower fat levels, thus helping in weight loss
• Reduce glucose levels
• Relieve stress and anxiety
• Increase energy levels
• Reduce the risk of hear disease
• Improve sleep pattern

 
There are so many forms of physical activity that improve Cardiovascular Fitness, you just have to choose the one that you enjoy the most and don’t consider like a huge endeavour. We’ll just list a few:
 

• Running, but you should have strong legs, knees and ankles. Make sure you wear proper running shoes and start slow, building up your stamina.
• Cycling at a steady pace to build up your endurance. If you don’t feel like dodging the killer traffic around town, try out the new cycling lanes near the waterfront.
• Swimming, which exercises your whole body with hardly any worry of injury.
• Step aerobics, targeting the legs, buttock and hips.
• Elliptical trainer, building endurance and at the same time gentle on your joints.
• Cross-country skiing, which is fast becoming a craze in our country. If not the full cross-country skiing, then rackets are just as well. It involves both your upper and lower body and gets your heart rate pumping.
• Walking, and we don’t mean wandering around at a snail pace. Brisk walking is very effective and has a long-lasting positive effect on your metabolism as well.

Exercise in all its forms is beneficial. However, if you have any injury, sickness or disease, make sure you speak to a professional before beginning any fitness program. And remember, exercise should help you. If you feel in any way that you are hurting or putting yourself at risk, seek professional advice.