Cardiovascular Training
There are many benefits to training our heart and lungs through cardiovascular endurance activities such as running. The general benefits of cardiovascular fitness are common knowledge amongst health scientists. Performing cardiovascular bouts can:
- Increase the efficiency of the heart and lungs
- Raise metabolism for several hours after exercise
- Help to lay down capillaries which carry oxygen to blood vessels
- Help with heart function
- Aid recovery with illnesses such as cardiovascular heart disease, diabetes and even anorexia.
Research by Williams (1997) at the Life Sciences Division Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California looked at 8283 runners and the relationship between running distance and cardiovascular heart disease. The study discovered that with each incremental increase of 16km of running distance per week up to 64 -79 km people experienced a significant increase in HDL (good cholesterol), decreases in: fat tissue; triglyceride levels in the blood (a mobile source of fat in blood) and therefore a decreased risk of cardiovascular heart disease.
Cardiovascular fitness should be included in any fitness regime as it means that our heart and lungs are able to function efficiently and therefore positively affect areas of health and fitness. This can be done through prolonged bouts of exercise (holding a sustainable pace); interval training (periods of work followed by periods of rest) or fartlek training which occurs in many team sports. HFD has included these modes of aerobic fitness within its training phases so participants are able to benefit as a result of taking part in hour-long sessions.
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Clash of the Corporates
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