Health Benefits of Cardiovascular Activity

Many people do cardio vascular activity either to lose weight as a part of a weight loss program, maintain their current weight, or stay well-conditioned for physical activity in general.

Although its great to lose weight there are many additonal benefits to regular cardio vascular activity.

Here are some of the direct Health Benefits provided by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) of doing cardiovascular exercise in addition than to merely lose weight as a part of a weight loss program:

• Reduction in blood pressure
• Increased HDL cholesterol
• Decreased total cholesterol
• Decreased body fat stores
• Increased aerobic work capacity
• Decreased clinical symptoms of anxiety, tension, and depression
• Reduction in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion
• Increased heart function
• Reduction in mortality in postmyocardial infarction patients
• Prevention of type II diabetes

Here are some of the direct Adaptive physiologic responses provided by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) of doing cardiovascular exercise in addition than to merely lose weight as a part of a weight loss program:

• Increased lactage threshold
• Decreased resting heart rate
• Increased heart volume
• Increased resting and maximum stroke volume
• Increased maximum cardiac output
• Increased maximum oxygen consumption
• Increased capillary density and blood flow to active muscles
• Increased total blood volume
• Increased maximal ventillation
• Increased Lung diffusion capacity
• Mobilization and utilization of fat
• Reduced all-cause mortality
• Decreased anxiety and depression
• Decreased incidence of some cancers
• Improved arterial endothelial function
• Increased insulin sensitivity