CARDIO: THE 6-LETTER WORD THAT COULD SAVE YOU
Cardio. Noun. Short for cardiovascular exercise. This six-letter word sends shudders through the bodies of many people, is the punch line of many jokes, and the object of many people’s burning hate and scorn. Despite all of that, partaking in this six-letter word could help save your life.
How? You ask.
It’s really quite simple. The addition of Cardio (AKA aerobic exercise), is one of the top recommended lifestyle changes by the American Heart Association (AHA) to lower your overall risk of heart disease.
Sidebar. While we are on the topic of heart disease let’s discuss some sobering statistics.
Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the cause of 1 in 3 deaths in the United States? The American College of Cardiology reports that on average, one person dies of cardiovascular disease every 40 seconds.
Despite being the leading cause of death for both men and women, with the right precautionary steps, you can greatly lower your risk of heart disease.
Now that you’ve seen the numbers we can tell it’s all starting to add up in your head.
Maybe that dreaded six-letter word isn’t so bad after all.
Well, we’ve got even better news for you.
When doctors tell you that you need to add more cardio to your exercise routine, this doesn’t mean you have to go out and train for a marathon or an iron man type event.
In fact, the AHA simply recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. That’s only 30 minutes a day for 5 days. If 30 minutes at one time is too difficult, the AHA claims that you will experience the same benefits even if you break it into two or three segments of 10 to 15 minutes.
That doesn’t sound too bad, right? But, what does “moderate-intensity” mean?
According to professionals, moderate-intensity exercise is any activity that gets your “heart rate up to 50-60 percent higher than its rate when you are at rest.”
This could be literally any physical activity including but not limited to:
Cleaning the house
Mall walking at a pace of 4 mph for 30 minutes
Mowing the lawn
Raking leaves
Jump Roping for 15 minutes
Biking 5 miles in 30 minutes
Chopping firewood
In his blog titled, 8 Best and Worst Exercise for Your Heart, Dr. Arthur Agatston gets even more specific and lists the best cardio exercises as interval training, total body non-impact sports like rowing and swimming, weight training, yoga and simply being active all day. On the flip side, he warns against running long-distances on pavement and partaking in any vigorous exercise you haven’t trained for. For a more in depth look, we recommend visiting his blog here: https://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/heart-healthy-exercises.
With all this cardio you’ll be doing, you’re going to want to stay comfortable.
This is where Zelus Insoles steps in. Get it? Steps in.
Whatever type of cardio you’re into, whether it’s taking a stroll down the street, dancing the night away, or training like an Olympian, we have an insole just for you.
Backed by over 30 years of experience in the custom foot orthotic industry, Zelus Insoles are built with SmartCells Cushioning Technology and effectively reduce impact, prevent injuries and improve performance. We like to call it our Triple Threat.
Intrigued? You should be.
If you’re ready to feel the zeal, click here to shop now.