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Cardiovascular Exercise Safety Precautions
by
Chad Tackett
Cardiovascular
exercise has received a lot of attention over
the last 15 years as the centerpiece of physical
fitness, weight management, and cardio respiratory
(heart and lung) health. The terms cardiovascular
exercise, cardio respiratory fitness and aerobic
exercise are all synonymous. This kind of exercise
requires large muscle movement over a sustained
period of time, elevating your heart rate to at
least 50% of maximum level. Examples include walking,
jogging, biking, swimming, and any other repetitious
activity that can be performed over an extended
period of time.
Cardiovascular
exercise has numerous benefits. They include a
decreased blood pressure, increased HDL (good)
cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins responsible
for removing LDL (bad) cholesterol from the cells
in the arteries and transporting it back to the
liver for removal from the body), decreased LDL
cholesterol, decreased body fat, decreased glucose-stimulated
insulin secretion (this increases capillary density
and blood flow to active muscles), increased heart
and lung function and efficiency, and decreased
anxiety, tension, and depression. All
of these benefits combine to help lower your risk
of cardiovascular disease by reducing risk factors
like obesity, hypertension, and high blood cholesterol.
In addition, cardiovascular exercise serves as
a foundation for the activities of daily living,
sports, and other outdoor activities. Activities
such as tennis, golf, skiing, dancing, basketball,
volleyball, boxing, hiking, and strength training
programs all benefit from cardiovascular exercise.
Your enjoyment of day-to-day and physical activities
will also greatly benefit because you will have
more stamina, less fatigue and less risk of injury.
However, there are several precautions you should
take to help maximize exercise safety.
Post-meal Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise soon after a full meal
can compromise oxygen and nutrient delivery to
the working muscles, and cause gastric discomfort.
Thus, you should wait at least 60-90 minutes after
a full meal before engaging in cardiovascular
exercise. The level of exercise and the amount
and type of food consumed affect the time required
for digestion to be completed before beginning
exercise. The higher the exercise intensity and/or
the greater the amount food consumed, the longer
the time should be between eating and exercising.
Pollutants
Pollutants can also have adverse effects on the
body. This is of concern if you exercise outdoors
in or near big cities. Some common ones include
ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. The
most problematic of these pollutants is ozone,
or smog, which is caused by the combination of
ultraviolet light and emissions from internal
combustion engines. Ozone exposure may impair
lung function during cardiovascular exercise.
Carbon monoxide is another common air pollutant
that can reduce exercise safety and effectiveness.
This is caused by exposure to crowded freeways
or smoke filled rooms. Sulfur dioxide is not a
major irritant for most people, but those with
asthma or bronchospasms tend to be adversely affected
by it.
Cardiovascular exercise provides many important benefits that cannot
be achieved by any other exercise or activity. Cardiovascular exercise
is also very convenient; you can do it in the outdoors or inside while
watching television or reading a book. However, when enjoying this
great form of physical activity, be sure to adhere to these precautions
so that your program is not only effective, but safe as well. Good
luck: I hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a safe and effective
cardiovascular exercise program.
Exercising in Hot Weather:
Another factor that increases the risk of injury and complications
is exercising in hot weather. The following are guidelines to prevent
heat stress:
- Allow 1-2 weeks for acclimatization to a hot environment
- Avoid training in the hottest part of the day, usually between
10 a.m. and 4 p.m., during the summer.
- Drink water before, during and after exercise. During prolonged
cardiovascular exercise, drink 4-6 ounces of fluids (preferably
water) every twenty minutes.
- Wear loose-fitting clothes that allow for evaporation of sweat.
- Decrease training intensity by monitoring heart rate in hot environments.
- Take a 10-15 minute rest for every 45-60 minutes of physical activity.
- Give special consideration to, and use caution if you are a heat-sensitive
person (obese, unfit, history of heat stroke, etc.).
Chad Tackett is the President of Global
Health and Fitness. Please visit his website for more great
articles.
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