Where to Start First?

It's a tough question to answer. I think the best place to start is with cardio activity. You need the cardio activity for your heart and lungs. It helps to burn fat and to create more energy for your body to function. Cardiovascular activity brings oxygen to the lungs which goes to the capillaries in the alveoli to pass the oxygen to the red blood cells which travel back to the heart to get pumped through the arteries to all of the tissues in the body where the oxygen is passed from the red cells to the tissues at the capillary level. Oxygen is necessary along with glucose for cellular respiration which is responsible for ATP production for cellular energy. (I told you I was a biological science grad).

Now that we have established all of this what type of activity can be classified as cardiovascular activity. Any activity that raises your heart rate from 60% to 85% of your maximum heart rate can be classified as cardiovascular activity. To calculate this subtract your age from 220 and then multiply by 0.6 to 0.85. As long as you maintain activity in this range for at least 20 minutes, there will be cardiovascular benefit. If you can maintain it for as long as 60 minutes, there will definately more health and fat burning benefits but for someone just starting out, 20 minutes is a good number to start with. You can always work your way up.

The activity that I would recommend for someone just starting is walking. If you have been inactive for a long time, you may only be able to walk for 10 minutes at a time. This is okay. You might want to try for 2 ten minute walks 3 times a week to start with. Research has found that cardiovascular benefit can be cumulative. If all you can do is 10 to 15 minutes in a day, that is okay too. As you go on, you will find that you can walk longer.

Once you are able to walk for a brisk 30 to 40 minutes you may find you would like to try running. Running is an excellent cardio activity and is a natural progression from walking. You might want to do a walk/jog program to start. You could set up an interval program of 5 minutes walking and 2 minutes running to start on an alternating basis. Interval training is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health as well as burn more calories. Do this activity for 30 to 40 minutes and you will notice a big difference in cardiovascular endurance as well as calorie burn.

Not everyone enjoys walking and running. There are numerous activities that can be done for cardiovascular health. Cardio kickboxing is one of my personal favorites. Dance moves if done continuously for 20 to 40 minutes or more can be considered cardio. Many people love to bicycle. Spinning is an excellent activity. Step aerobics has cardiovascular benefit as well as strength. Ice skating, inline skating, swimming, cross country skiing and many other sport activities can offer cardiovascular benefit. The choice is yours. Start small and work your way up. That is the marvel of this whole thing. You can work at your own pace. No one says that you have to run a marathon after a week. The main idea is to find an activity that you enjoy and stick with it.