Hi and welcome, Here's to the HEART

Well my blog is finally up and running! I'm sure many of you have been anxiously anticipating my first entry of a blog that will contain information on the things one must do and must not do to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle. This will be a domain where I will compare different styles of exercises with the right combination of foods and habits for various types of goals. Whether you're looking to reach the physical properties of a body builder, attempting to lose weight for specific health reasons, or increase that endurance that'll have you running miles and miles on end; this is the place that'll steer you clear from the myths and bring you closer to the reality of understanding your own body and what you can do improve the monster you have already created thus far. So lets get started!

I wanted to create a sense of what's important in fitness as opposed to how attractive one can look through definition, muscles and tone. Don't get me wrong, although the latter is important for confidence, self esteem and what have you, there are other things that can't necessarily be depicted by the naked eye or hold any sort of tangible characteristics that 'take the cake' when it comes to fitness and health. Let's just say that what I'm referring to can literally... and I mean LITERALLY add years to your life if taken care of properly. It involves the most important muscle in your body and it actually has the potential to control your performance in anything you do, whether it involves strength or endurance. The muscle I'm talking about is your HEART and more specifically I'm talking about your cardiovascular endurance!

The heart, being a muscle, needs the attention and care that any other muscle in your body would... times a hundred! Because there are so many other factors that come into play that affect this specific muscle it can become rather easy to neglect it of its proper care, but at the same time not many people realize how simple it can also be to take action into improving the quality of your cardiovascular endurance. Simply put, cardiovascular endurance is how effectively your body (heart and lungs) can transport oxygen to and from all the important places that help you function. SO you can see why cholesterol and blood pressure is something that needs to be kept in check. (General Fitness Guide, 2013)

In order to achieve that, two crucial things needs to be done! That is; eat healthy and exercise regularly.When focusing on exercise, the idea is to find out what your target heart rate zone is. This can be done by simply looking up any chart at a local fitness gym or even a quick search online, but if your desperate to do it on your own then here's how! First you have to find your maximum heart rate, which can be found when u subtract your age from the number 220. Now your target heart rate zone is anywhere from 50% to 85% of that max number. Meaning if your age was 45, your max heart rate was 175 beats per minute, then your target heart rate zone would be 87 to 148 beats per minute. If you want to improve your endurance you have to work your heart rate within that region. At least 15 minutes, three times a week can begin to show a great improvement. (exercise for weight loss, 2013)

(This chart was retrieved from http://generalfitness.tripod.com/id4.html)

There are a couple of specific things to include in your diet which can either make or break your journey in improving your cardiovascular endurance. Fruits are very important, but fruit juice (natural) is much better because your body spends less time trying to digest the solid fruits. The sugars from these fruits keep your body going. Protein is another important part because it keeps those muscles strong and recovered while working out. This can be found in a form of powder or even low fat milk can go a long way in helping. Next! You need CARBS! whole grains! Brown rice! Complex carbohydrates fuel your anaerobic metabolism and act as a sustainable source of energy. Lastly! WATER... tons and tons of water. 6-8 glasses a day should be a minimum. Your body must always be hydrated for best results in any exercise you do (Premie, 2011).

That is my way of narrowing down what I focus on in order to achieve my cardiovascular endurance goals! Now, there are many ways to go about doing this and I'm interested in hearing: what works for you and where you would like to see some personal improvements that can get you on a more effective path towards reaching this goal. I personally am a fan of really tasty food and it can also become pretty expensive to maintain a healthy diet. It's okay to cheat! You just have to pick your spots and work a bit harder in the gym. After all we're only human. But when you feel like breaking down and giving up, just take a moment to remember the guy shown down below and everything he was able to accomplish. I leave you with that image and a quick link to a video showing some cardiovascular exercises you can try on your own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzOe2ImO1rk

Sources:

Premie, M. (2013). How To Eat For Cardio Endurance. Retrieved from Livestrong: http://www.livestrong.com/article/419347-how-to-eat-for-cardio-endurance/

Unknown. (2013). Cardiovascular Endurance. Retrieved from General Fitness: http://generalfitness.tripod.com/id4.html

unknown. (2013). Target Heart Rate Formula. Retrieved from Exercise For Weight Loss: http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/target-heart-rate.html