About this 2 week cardio challenge
Intensity level: intermediate
Benefits: improves cardio fitness, burns calories and works all the main muscle groups
Safety: please read the general safety information here
Warm up: you should warm up your muscles and joints by doing the warm up exercises shown in the exercise instructions section below
What you need: this is a high impact workout, so you’ll need a pair of trainers to absorb some of the impact
2 week cardio challenge chart
Each day you’ll do 3 or 4 sets of the exercises. The chart tells you how many sets to do and how long you should do the exercises for. So day 1 for example is 4 sets of 20 seconds. You should do each of the 6 exercises for 20 seconds, then start again and repeat 3 more times so that you’ve done 4 sets in all. The instructions for the exercises are below the chart.
Exercise instructions
Warm up
Warm up your leg muscles and joints each day with 16 each of these exercises:
Challenge exercises
The benefits of cardio exercise for the heart and circulatory system
Regular cardio exercise is one of the best things you can do for your overall health, especially for your heart and circulatory system. Cardio exercise strengthens your heart muscle, improves blood flow, and lowers blood pressure, all of which can help to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.
How Cardio Exercise Benefits Your Heart
When you engage in cardio exercise, your heart rate increases. This increased heart rate causes your heart muscle to work harder, which over time strengthens the muscle. A stronger heart muscle can pump blood more efficiently throughout your body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your cells and tissues.
Improved Blood Flow
Cardio exercise also improves blood flow by widening your blood vessels. This widening allows more blood to flow through your arteries and veins, which helps to lower blood pressure. Lower blood pressure reduces the strain on your heart and arteries, further decreasing your risk of heart disease.
Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Problems
In addition to strengthening your heart muscle and improving blood flow, cardio exercise can also help to lower your risk of developing other cardiovascular problems, such as:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
- Heart failure
- Stroke
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