Variety
Use a variety of cardio exercises to avoid boredom. Any exercise that elevates heart rate and keeps it elevated will improve cardiovascular fitness. Running,walking,skipping,biking,stairstepping,jumping rope,circuit training,rowing, are just a few.
10/10/10 plan
To break up the boredom of doing one piece of cardio equipment for 30-45 minutes, try 10 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes on the treadmill.
Cross Training for Cardiovascular Workout
Cross training involves doing a variety of activities to achieve development. In terms of cardiovascular activities, there are any number of combinations of activities you can do. For instance,this could consist of running stairs followed by sprints, and ending with jogging. The key to developing cardiovascular capacity is to perform the activities for a minimum of 10 minutes within your target heart rate zone (building up to 20-30 minutes within the target heart rate zone). Cross training also helps to reduce the boredom some individuals face when doing extended cardiovascular exercise routines.
Stair Climber
Stair climbers come in many different styles, however the basic premise is that they all try to mimic climbing stairs and typically run off of a gearing type mechanism which provides resistance to your body weight, which can be adjusted. Just like other cardio machines, stair climbers have a variety of different pre-set programs that you can use, and give you the typical readouts of calories, time, flights climbed etc. The one pictured below is made by LifeFitness.
Calculate target heart rate
(THR) or target heart rate can be calculated by following a simple formula.220-age X 60-70%(beginners) or 70-85% for advanced. Ex. : 220-20=200 BPM
200 is your max HR, 200 x .70 = 140 BPM(beats per minute). This person needs to exercise at 140 BPM?s for 30 min. to get a cardiovascular workout.
Walking, a good BASIC exercise
Walking is good for bone density, muscular endurance, balance and strength, especially for those who are deconditioned. If you are beyond a basic level of fitness, walking will do little to build strength or bone density, unless you make it harder by walking uphill, power or speed walking, or adapting racewalking techniques to increase difficulty. Walking does help to achieve or maintain cardiovascular fitness and control or prevent many chronic diseases.
Intervals
Interval training, is another concept that can be applied to cardiovascular conditioning. It involves performing an activity such as running, at a very intense level for a specified period of time, followed by performing a lower intensity activity such as jogging for a specified period of time. These periods of high intensity followed by low intensity would be repeated a specific number of times. This method also helps to eliminate boredom from cardiovascular activity by incorporating these adjustments in intensity.
How much ?
In order in to improve cardiovascular fitness, a person needs to do a minimum of 20 min. continuous exercise at a minimum of 60 % of max. heart rate for at least 3 days per week.
Cardiovasular Training Intensity Based on Feel
Another way to monitor cardiovascular training intensity is to use a "perceived exertion scale". This basically means listening to your body in terms of pushing yourself, and gradually increasing the intensity as you progress. One scale goes from 1-10, with a 1 meaning you are at rest, 5 being a moderate intensity (e.g. comfortable walk), and with a 10 meaning you are going as hard as you can. This method will work well if you can push yourself, but if you need a lot of external motivation then this method may not be very helpful for you.
Cardio or weights first ??
It depends on your individual goals. If your goal is to lose weight and be more cardiovascularly fit, do your cardio first. If your goal is more muscle building, hit the weights first.
Recumbent Bike
A recumbent bike is one in which you are in a seated position similar to a chair, with the pedals being out in front of you. These bikes tend to be more comfortable for many people. The bike pictured here is made by Life Fitness, and has a variety of features, including 20 levels, and many different pre-programed routines.
Cardio for the older athlete
A study done by the American Heart Association found that the blood vessels of older athletes, primarily individuals who participate in endurance exercise, behave like those of people half their age. Blood vessels of older athletes maintained their elasticity and ability to dilate to handle increased blood flow.
Exercise Reduces Heart Disease Risk
Age, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, family history of heart disease, diabetes, and smoking are all risk factors for coronary heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. Some of these risk factors can be alleviated by exercise.
Blood pressure
A normal BP (blood pressure) reading is 120/80. Everyone should have a BP check regularly. Exercise can help normalize blood pressure.
Monitoring Training Intensity
In order for you to optimize your cardiovascular workout, training at the proper intensity is very important. The most accurate way to monitor this is by using a heart rate monitor; a good one can be purchased for somewhere between $60-$80. This will help you to make sure you are not doing too much or too little cardio, both of which could result in not shedding the fat you would like to get rid of.