Introduction
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in industrialized nations such as Germany. For this reason, strengthening the cardiovascular system is recommended at every age. Studies prove beyond doubt the positive influence of endurance sports and healthy nutrition on common diseases such as high blood pressure or coronary heart disease.
Which endurance sports are particularly beneficial?
Which endurance sports are particularly suitable for strengthening the cardiovascular system depends crucially on the requirements of the person concerned. For young, healthy people, a variety of endurance sports are possible. Jogging, for example, is very popular.
Already 20 minutes of training 2-3 times a week are enough to have a positive effect on circulatory diseases such as high blood pressure. It is advantageous that after a one-time purchase of equipment (especially good running shoes should be invested in) hardly any costs are incurred. It is also possible to jog at any time of the day and there is no obligation to adhere to the opening hours of sports clubs or the seasons.
In the long run, however, jogging on hard surfaces and excessive exercise can lead to joint wear and tear. Nordic Walking is more gentle on the joints, which can also be a very effective training. Inline skating is also an optimal endurance sport that is fun and easy on the joints.
In addition, thigh muscles and coordination are trained. One sport that can be practiced as light endurance training as well as an extreme sport is cycling. An advantage is the stay in the fresh air and the joint-gentle effect while cycling.
Cycling is thus also particularly suitable for people with joint diseases and older and overweight people. Similarly it behaves with swimming, with which the joints are relieved by the body weight. It is suitable thus among other things particularly for over-weighty ones, since the body weight does not have to be carried here.
In addition, the lungs are also trained during swimming training, which has additional positive effects on the cardiovascular system. Above all, however, everyone must find an endurance sport that is fun. This is the only way to consistently carry out training over years without feeling it as an additional burden.
- Running
- Running style
- Endurance sports and fat burning
In order to lose weight, the body has to burn more energy than is supplied to it. Therefore, the combination of a healthy, balanced diet and physical activity is the key to the long-term goal. All endurance sports can be used to burn calories to lose weight.
However, the intensity of the activity determines how long the workout must last in order to burn a certain number of calories. For example, jogging at a speed of 12km/h can burn about 700 calories in an hour. Similar results can be achieved by cycling or swimming for an hour, provided a certain speed is reached.
The optimal sport for losing weight therefore does not exist. Rather, it is crucial that the sport is performed regularly and disciplined to achieve long-term weight loss. In addition to taking medication, physical activity can also make a decisive contribution to lowering blood pressure.
Physical activity initially leads to a slight increase in blood pressure. After only a few weeks, however, a significant long-term reduction in blood pressure can be achieved with adequate training. In the early stages, it is even possible to avoid taking medication.
Endurance sports with a constant moderate load such as jogging, swimming, cycling, hiking or inline skating are particularly suitable for lowering blood pressure. Short-term peaks in exertion that are accompanied by a significant increase in blood pressure should, however, be avoided. An even, tolerable load thus has a long-term lowering effect on blood pressure, whereas complete exhaustion can have the opposite effect. Light weight training can be recommended to accompany endurance sports. Increased muscle mass, for example, reduces the risk of developing diabetes mellitus, which can exacerbate high blood pressure.Here too, however, it is important not to exceed the load limit, as otherwise unfavorable blood pressure peaks can occur.
