Cardiovascular
Exercise Safety Precautions
by
Chad Tackett
Cardiovascular
exercise has received a lot of attention over
the last 15 years as the centerpiece of physical
fitness, weight management, and cardio respiratory
(heart and lung) health. The terms cardiovascular
exercise, cardio respiratory fitness and aerobic
exercise are all synonymous. This kind of exercise
requires large muscle movement over a sustained
period of time, elevating your heart rate to at
least 50% of maximum level. Examples include walking,
jogging, biking, swimming, and any other repetitious
activity that can be performed over an extended
period of time.
Cardiovascular
exercise has numerous benefits. They include a
decreased blood pressure, increased HDL (good)
cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins responsible
for removing LDL (bad) cholesterol from the cells
in the arteries and transporting it back to the
liver for removal from the body), decreased LDL
cholesterol, decreased body fat, decreased glucose-stimulated
insulin secretion (this increases capillary density
and blood flow to active muscles), increased heart
and lung function and efficiency, and decreased
anxiety, tension, and depression.
All
of these benefits combine to help lower your risk
of cardiovascular disease by reducing risk factors
like obesity, hypertension, and high blood cholesterol.
In addition, cardiovascular exercise serves as
a foundation for the activities of daily living,
sports, and other outdoor activities. Activities
such as tennis, golf, skiing, dancing, basketball,
volleyball, boxing, hiking, and strength training
programs all benefit from cardiovascular exercise.
Your enjoyment of day-to-day and physical activities
will also greatly benefit because you will have
more stamina, less fatigue and less risk of injury.
However, there are several precautions you should
take to help maximize exercise safety.
Post-meal
Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise soon after a full meal
can compromise oxygen and nutrient delivery to
the working muscles, and cause gastric discomfort.
Thus, you should wait at least 60-90 minutes after
a full meal before engaging in cardiovascular
exercise. The level of exercise and the amount
and type of food consumed affect the time required
for digestion to be completed before beginning
exercise. The higher the exercise intensity and/or
the greater the amount food consumed, the longer
the time should be between eating and exercising.
Pollutants
Pollutants can also have adverse effects on the
body. This is of concern if you exercise outdoors
in or near big cities. Some common ones include
ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. The
most problematic of these pollutants is ozone,
or smog, which is caused by the combination of
ultraviolet light and emissions from internal
combustion engines. Ozone exposure may impair
lung function during cardiovascular exercise.
Carbon monoxide is another common air pollutant
that can reduce exercise safety and effectiveness.
This is caused by exposure to crowded freeways
or smoke filled rooms. Sulfur dioxide is not a
major irritant for most people, but those with
asthma or bronchospasms tend to be adversely affected
by it.
Cardiovascular
exercise provides many important benefits that
cannot be achieved by any other exercise or activity.
Cardiovascular exercise is also very convenient;
you can do it in the outdoors or inside while
watching television or reading a book. However,
when enjoying this great form of physical activity,
be sure to adhere to these precautions so that
your program is not only effective, but safe as
well. Good luck: I hope you enjoy all the wonderful
benefits of a safe and effective cardiovascular
exercise program.
Exercising
in Hot Weather:
Another
factor that increases the risk of injury and complications
is exercising in hot weather. The following are
guidelines to prevent heat stress:
Allow
1-2 weeks for acclimatization to a hot environment Avoid
training in the hottest part of the day, usually
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., during the summer. Drink
water before, during and after exercise. During
prolonged cardiovascular exercise, drink 4-6
ounces of fluids (preferably water) every twenty
minutes. Wear
loose-fitting clothes that allow for evaporation
of sweat. Decrease
training intensity by monitoring heart rate
in hot environments. Take
a 10-15 minute rest for every 45-60 minutes
of physical activity. Give
special consideration to, and use caution if
you are a heat-sensitive person (obese, unfit,
history of heat stroke, etc.).
Chad
Tackett is the President of Global
Health and Fitness. Please visit his
website for more great articles.
Here
are some of B&N's best selling books on cardiovascular
exercise. Free shipping when you buy two or more items!
The Whartons' Cardio-Fitness Book
The Step-by-Step Program for High Energy
and Endurance
The Spirited Walker
Fitness Walking for Clarity, Balance, and Spiritual
Connection
The Lance Armstrong Program
Performance Program 7 Weeks to the Perfect
Ride
Water Workouts
A Guide to Fitness, Training, and Performance Enhancement
in the Water
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