What is Cardiovascular Endurance?

This is often what we think of as being ‘fit’. It is a measure of how well the body copes with extended periods of exercise or how long you can cope with high-intensity activities without getting tired. It shows how well your heart, lungs and muscles work as a team for longer amounts of time.

I don’t play sport, why should I care?

You level of cardiovascular fitness is also important for quality of life and long-term health[i]. High levels of cardiovascular fitness are associated with a lower chance of having high blood pressure and a lower risk of coronary heart disease and dying.[ii][iii]

How fit am I?

Many of us won’t need a test to tell us how fit we are. That run to the bus stop, or chasing a small human around the house will probably be a good indication. However, for those who just have to know, here are some common tests used to test cardiovascular endurance.

Additionally, knowing our fitness level helps us track our improvements as we train.

In a clinical setting, cardiovascular endurance is measured using a ‘maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 Max)’ test. This involves riding an exercise bike or running on a treadmill as fast as you can while medical equipment is used to measure your heart rate and oxygen consumption.[iv]

However, there are other ways to test this at home such as using a 2.4km run test or a beep test shuttle run.[v]

The 2.4 km test is fairly self explanatory but the test conditions can be found here: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/24kmruntest.htm

The beep test is also used to test for many physical jobs such as Police. Here are some details from NSW Police, Australia.

https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/recruitment/fitness/physical_capacity_testing/multi-stage_fitness_test

So how do I improve my cardiovascular endurance?

So now we know it is important for more than just sport and we can measure our current cardiovascular endurance, how do we improve it?

Well, the good news is, you don’t need a lot of equipment or a lot of time or even a gym membership.

Studies have found that endurance training, high intensity interval training (HIIT) and resistance training can help to improve cardiorespiratory endurance in people who were not previously physically active in just 12 weeks.

Here are some of the best-known way to improve your cardiovascular endurance.

Low Intensity, Stead State (LISS)

This is what we usually think of when we think about endurance training. Long, stead yruns or rides or swims are all great ways to improve your cardiovascular endurance. It is also the easiest for beginners and can be done almost everyday.[vi][vii]

High Intensity, Interval Training (HIIT)

This involves periods of high intensity training interspersed by periods of low intensity. This provides a more efficient way to burn calories for those trying to lose weight but also can help improve your cardiovascular endurance. However, try and limit this to 3 times a week to avoid the risk of overtraining. Also, due to the high physical demands, this is often not suitable for those just starting out.[viii]

Here are some exercises you can include in your intervals.[ix][x]

Jumping Jacks / Star Jumps

Burpees

In and Out Hopping Squats

Running and jumping on the Spot

Try doing as many repetitions you can in a minute and then resting for 30 seconds in between.

Conclusion

Cardiovascular endurance is not only important for fitness in sport but is vital for overall health. You can improve it in as little as 12 weeks and you don’t need any equipment, exercise experience or much time. Why not try moving today!

If you would like to help get moving, join us for a FREE Recharge Class ONLINE.

Book at: www.DesignYourLife.net.au/recharge/book

[i] *science direct reference*[i]

[ii] Sui, X., Sarzynski, M. A., Lee, D. C., Lavie, C. J., Zhang, J., Kokkinos, P. F., ... & Blair, S. N. (2017). Longitudinal patterns of cardiorespiratory fitness predict the development of hypertension among men and women. The American journal of medicine, 130(4), 469-476.

[iii] Gander, J. C., Sui, X., Hébert, J. R., Hazlett, L. J., Cai, B., Lavie, C. J., & Blair, S. N. (2015, October). Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with coronary heart disease in asymptomatic men. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 90, No. 10, pp. 1372-1379). Elsevier.

[iv] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325487#measurment

[v] https://www.healthline.com/health/cardiorespiratory-endurance#tests

[vi] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cardiovascular-fitness

[vii] https://www.verywellfit.com/endurance-training-for-sports-3120090

[viii] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cardiovascular-fitness

[ix] https://www.healthline.com/health/cardiorespiratory-endurance#takeaway

[x] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325487#measurment