Learning challenge s23w1: Love your Body - Cardiovascular exercises

Dear fitness lovers and friends,, I warmly welcome you to this first week of season 23 learning challenge! It is my pleasure, along with that of my teammate to host this challenge that will help you love develop love for your body or to increase the love you have for your body as we journey through this season 23.

We are grateful to be your instructor and if you follow our lead, you are going to enjoy the programs that will be given out in the course of this journey.

Week 1 - Cardiovascular exercises

In this week 1, we are going to focus on cardiovascular exercises.

• What is cardiovascular exercises

• Why is it important

• Programs that target the cardio

• How does it affect your overall wellbeing

Task

What is Cardiovascular exercises

Cardiovascular exercises otherwise known as aerobic exercises are those activities that target the cardiovascular system of the body. It has to do with our heart health and the ability of our heart to absorb oxygen, transport it and use it to produce energy. Our heart is involved and the rate at which it beats is determined by the activities it carries out.

We can observe that when we engage in activities that are strength sapping, we begin to pant heavily especially if we have not trained our heart to carry out such activities. Some persons easily get tired while engaging in some simple tasks simply because their heart is gasping for more energy and the heart can't be able to absorb oxygen at the moment.

The rate at which you carry out physical activities that are energy sapping is determined by how often you train your heart to work. Some persons endure longer than others while some simply get tired without doing much.

Cardiovascular (cardio) exercises are those simple exercises that help you improve the endurance and patience that your heart needs to absorb and transport oxygen in the body, this, helping you to love your overall self.

Why cardiovascular exercises are important to you

It has a lot of importance to us all. In fact, everyone is supposed not avoid cardio exercises due to it's benefits to the body.

• It elongates your lifespan by helping you live healthier.

• It helps to manage your weight

• Helps to reduce or eliminate heart health challenges like BP issues, stroke, heart failure and so on

*Aerobic exercises help to improve mental health, helps you to get enough sleep, improve your mood and help you deal with anxiety.

The above are just few of its importance. There are more.

Cardiovascular exercise programs

There are a whole lot of activities that helps with cardio and they include but not limited to walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, skipping dancing and so on.

For the purpose of this class, we have chosen to focus on just 2 exercises. But please do not limit yourself to these 2. Explore other programs for that better body that you will develop love for or improve the love you have for it.

We have selected running in place and aerobic dance steps for this week.

Running in place

We are all familiar with running where you have to move from place to place in a fast motion. Running in place tries to copy that movement but it now becomes stationary. Yea, you don't need to move from place to place but to be stationary while mimicking running. You will need to lift your legs above the ground as though you are running but remain in a place. You will also need to engage your arms just the way you do while doing the conventional running.

This program makes it convenient for all as one must not be outdoors before he or she performs this activity. It is convenient for anyone and at anyplace but make sure that there is enough ventilation because your heart will need to absorb more energy as fast as your leg moves.

TIP- Getting tired easily simply means that your body needs more oxygen and the one your nose breaths in is not enough for the heart. Hence, it is advised that while exercising, try to open your mouth and breath in through it as well in addition to the nose. This additional supply of oxygen will help your body to endure.

aerobic dance

This is the type of cardiovascular or aerobic program the combines both dance and aerobic movements in rhythmic steps. It makes use of music and makes exercises more fun as you will be dancing as well as moving those bodies in an aerobic way to achieve greater results. This is what we call sugar coating exercise. While dancing, you employ exercise movements that target the heart.

It has proved effective in weight management and in making exercise more appealing to those who ordinarily hates exercises. It is recommended that you breathe in as fast as possible through your nose and mouth as well. When done in a group, aerobic dance becomes more fun. However, it can also be done alone since an individual can enjoy dancing to music alone at home or anywhere else.

You will need to choose an appealing music that can allow you move in a rhythmic way. It could be any song that moves you but what matters is that you make use of aerobic movements. These movements are those rhythmical moves that increase heart rate and increase endurance as you combine various dance styles. You can decide to do jumping jacks, boxing, high knees, hand raises and soon but following the rhythm of the music you are dancing to.

We have included a video where we have demonstrated both running in place and aerobic dances both in a class and as individual