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A "cardio workout" usually implies exercising for general fitness of specifically for "heart" health. Cardio workouts are also sometimes called "aerobic exercise."

A little anatomy and physiology
"Cardio" is short for cardiovascular or cardiorespiratory. "Cardiovascular" includes the heart and the blood vessels (arteries, veins, and the capillaries). Cardiorespiratory includes the heart and the breathing mechanisms (lungs). In both cases the purpose is getting oxygen to the working muscles and removing the byproducts (like carbon dioxide).

Recently cardiorespiratory seems to have fallen out of favor. Saying that you are doing "cardiovascular exercise" is slightly more accurate due to the fact that the respiratory system provides more than enough oxygen (even in untrained individuals) but the bottleneck is getting the muscles to efficiently use the oxygen and remove lactate ("Onset of blood lactate accumulation" is an indication of exhaustion).

What is a cardio workout?
At the most basic level a "cardio workout" is any exercise that gets your heart rate into your training heart rate range. Running, jogging, walking, biking, and swimming are examples of traditional cardio workouts.

A rule of thumb to determine whether your exercise is a "cardio workout" is the "talk test." If you can easily have a conversation while you are exercising - then the workout isn't strenuous enough. If you are gasping for breath and can't talk at all - then the workout is too strenuous.

Length and Frequency of Workouts
It is very important that if you are just starting an exercise program and are over 35 or have other medical conditions - consult your physician first.

The following recommendation is for "apparently healthy people" who are "untrained." If you are a competitive athlete then you might need more (if you run marathons) or less (if you are a weightlifter).

Frequency: 3 to 5 days a week
Duration: 15 to 60 minutes
Intensity: 60% - 70% Training heart rate

Determine your training heart rate range
You need to know your resting heart rate and maximum heart rate to determine your training heart rate.

Resting heart rate is determined by simply taking your pulse for 1 minute. It will be most accurate if you count the heart beats for the full 60 seconds, but counting for 30 seconds and multiplying by 2 or counting for 15 seconds and multiplying by 4 are acceptable methods.

You maximum heart rate can be found by subtracting your age from 220.

Example: If you are 30 years old = 220 - 30 = Max HR = 190

60% Training heart rate = .60(Max HR - Resting HR) + Resting HR

Example: If our 30 year old above has a resting heart rate of 70 then -
.60(190 - 70) + 70 = 142

70% Training heart rate = .70(Max HR - Resting HR) + Resting HR

Example: If our 30 year old above has a resting heart rate of 70 then -
.70(190 - 70) + 70 = 154

The training heart rate range for this individual is 142 to 154.

Final Thought
Exercising by these standards is safe and simple. Doing exercise you enjoy will make it easier to stick with your exercise regime. Good luck and good health.

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