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Why Cardio is So Important
Cardiorespiratory fitness
Cardiorespiratory fitness is a measurement of a person’s ability to work with large muscle groups for longer periods of time. This is also referred to as aerobic fitness. Research has shown that aerobic fitness is extremely important for health. It is one of the strongest predictors of mortality and risk factor for several lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
At the same time cardiorespiratory fitness is directly related to physical performance – both in terms of the ability to handle daily living tasks and athletic performance.
4 Facts about cardiorespiratory fitness
Several large studies have shown that there is an inverse association between aerobic fitness capacity and mortality.
Cardiorespiratory exercise is increasingly seen as a way of treating medical conditions - Aerobic exercise has been systematically used for prevention and rehabilitation after cardiovascular disease.
As low aerobic fitness is related to the development of several diseases and the risk of early death, initiatives that succeed in increasing aerobic fitness at the population level could have a huge impact on public healthcare costs.
For most people, the easiest way to perform efficient aerobic exercise is by running or using low-impact outdoor cardio machines, like stationary bikes and cross trainers. This is only effective if the equipment allows for sufficient output for the required intensities to be met.
