We all know jogging is healthy but running out of breath is a hassle. Learn how to improve cardiovascular endurance and breathe better.
If you don’t exercise regularly, then cardiovascular endurance is not something you usually think about. However, if you’ve ever run out of breath while jogging (or while walking up a flight of stairs), then chances are high that it’s come to mind.
There are many benefits to having good cardiovascular endurance. Some of these include better health, increased energy, and a boost in motivation and confidence.
The following are some of the things you can do to improve your cardiovascular endurance. They will make jogging and walking up a flight of stairs a piece of cake.
1. Be More Active
First things first: get out of bed, get out of the couch and do something. However, that doesn’t mean you have to go from zero to 100 on day one.
Start with an activity that you’re comfortable with and gradually increase the intensity. Even just walking for 10 minutes a day can go a long way if you haven’t been active. Just remember to increase the intensity as you go along.
Moreover, you can try biking to work, running with your dog, playing a sport you like, and even dancing. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, adults need at least 150 minutes of exercise with moderate intensity a week.
However, if you are ready for more, then 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week is just the same.
2. Challenge Yourself
While the idea of reading your phone while walking at a brisk pace sounds nice, it won’t do much (if anything at all) to improve your cardio.
To improve your endurance, you have to be willing to push yourself. Resistance is the key to growing, because by challenging yourself, your lungs will adapt to the pressure and become stronger.
If you’re not sweating, you’re doing it wrong – so put away that phone unless you’re choosing music that will help energize you.
Exercises with moderate levels of intensity are good to start with and you’ll still be able to talk while working out. However, high intense workouts will need all your focus and chances are you won’t be able to talk without needing a breath every few seconds.
Don’t kill yourself, but definitely push yourself enough so that when you finish, you truly felt like you worked out.
3. Practice Interval Training
If you have trouble pushing yourself, then one of the best things you can practice is interval training. Interval training is setting a certain amount of time during your workouts where you push yourself, immediately followed by recovery time.
For example, you can start by taking a walk for 5 minutes, then jog for 30 seconds, walk for 5 minutes, jog for 30 seconds, etc. By alternating the intensity throughout your workouts, you can efficiently increase your heart rate and also give yourself some “down” time in between.
According to a 2018 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, simply doing six sprint interval sessions can significantly improve cardio.
Treadmills and stationary bikes can make it easy to switch intensity and you can even program them so you don’t have to think about it.
4. Try Circulation Supplements
If you lead a sedentary life, chances are high that you need to improve more than just your cardio – you probably need to improve your circulation.
Poor circulation is a key factor in various conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease. In addition, poor blood flow also results in poor oxygen delivery to the heart and organs. However, circulation supplements can help improve blood flow throughout the body.
Take Circulation Boost, for example: it safely increases nitric oxide in the body, resulting in better circulation, nutrient delivery and oxygen transportation. It does this by combining powerful ingredients that are known to increase nitric oxide such as l-arginine, l-citrulline, and other key vitamins and minerals.
Try Circulation Boost for improved circulation and oxygen delivery – all of which may help support cardiovascular endurance.