For someone who likes to keep healthy, eating a good diet and drinking plenty of water is not quite enough. Exercise is essential for good health and in particular cardio exercise. If you are overweight, unfit or just keen to get your body to its optimum level of fitness then read on for some tips on the various cardio exercises.

Cardio or 'cardio exercise' is the term given to certain types of exercises which focus on the cardiovascular system. This system is the one involving respiration and circulation and therefore the muscles used are those that work in blood flow (heart, blood vessels, arteries, veins) and breathing (lungs, heart).

Perhaps the very easiest of all the cardio exercises is walking. All types of walking count, which is why pedometers are so useful; simply strap them to your waistband and see how many steps of cardiovascular exercise you do in a typical day. As with any type of exercise, however, walking is best when it's done at a relatively quick pace (enough to get you a little out of breath and raise your pulse) and for a long enough period of time (20 minutes per day minimum). Running is basically a step up from walking in terms of cardio exercises and it works each muscle considerably harder. Doing these exercises is quite simply for beginners; run or walk until you feel suitably tired out, but don't give up too easily or you will achieve nothing. You need to push yourself to get fitter and the more often you do it, the longer you should be able to walk or run for.

Swimming is the wonder of all cardio exercises as it uses almost every single muscle in the body. The golden rule of exercise and losing weight is that the more body parts you involve, the more calories will be burnt and just 15 minutes of doing breaststroke will burn an amazing 200 calories. What's great about swimming is that it's so pleasant, calming and once you are used to it, it doesn't make you as exhausted as 30 minutes of running will. Other great cardio exercises include rock climbing as it really works your arm and leg muscles, aerobics as it works your cardio system but also tones up the parts of our bodies we're least happy with (stomachs, thighs and butts) and cycling as it varies how much you use your leg muscles and cardiovascular system simultaneously.

If you are considering beginning a fitness regime focused on cardio exercises then we suggest you start with something light such as walking, jogging or swimming. Once you've got your cardiovascular system into shape you can start something more demanding like step aerobics, rowing or mountain biking. That way your body will be prepared for what's next and you'll progress to the top stages much faster. Remember, the more often you train the better you'll feel when you're really pushing your body to its limits.

Stan Tian

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