How Cardiorespiratory Fitness Protects Your Heart and Boosts Health

Achieving cardiorespiratory fitness can markedly reduce your risk for many chronic diseases. These include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). But what is cardiorespiratory fitness, and why is it so essential for long-term heart health?

As we perform physical activity, the muscles work harder to produce the energy needed for movement. To generate this energy, muscles require increasing amounts of oxygen, especially during higher-intensity activities. This oxygen is transported through the bloodstream. Since the heart pumps blood and the lungs supply oxygen to it, both organs must work harder during physical exertion. Cardiorespiratory fitness refers to how efficiently the heart and lungs supply oxygen to working muscles during exercise.

How can we improve cardiorespiratory fitness? This is accomplished by training the cardiovascular and respiratory systems regularly. To gain cardiorespiratory benefits from exercise, it's important to raise your heart rate into its target heart rate zone—generally 50 to 85% of your age-predicted maximum heart rate(American Heart Association, n.d.).

Your maximum heart rate is age-specific. The most commonly used formula is: 220 minus your age. For example, if you're 20 years old, your estimated maximum heart rate would be 200 beats per minute. However, exercising at your maximum heart rate may be uncomfortable—or even dangerous—for many individuals. Beginners should aim for 50% of their predicted maximum and gradually increase to 85%. For optimal benefit, maintain this target heart rate for at least 20 minutes during each session.

To ensure your heart rate remains within the correct range, you should monitor your pulse every 10 minutes during a workout. Adjust the intensity of exercise as needed to stay in the zone.

Heart rate tracking can be easily done with smartwatches or fitness trackers(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2023). If you don’t have one, you can measure your pulse manually at the wrist (radial artery) or the neck (carotid artery). However, applying excessive pressure to the carotid artery may slow down the heart—a potential risk, especially in individuals with cardiovascular conditions.

To improve cardiovascular health and mental well-being, try to achieve cardiorespiratory fitness by performing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week. Incorporating aerobic workouts like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming into your routine can dramatically enhance your fitness level and reduce disease risk. Activities like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming fall under moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and are excellent ways to improve cardiorespiratory health (Harvard Health Publishing, 2017).

Further Reading:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, June 2). Benefits of physical activity. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm

2. American Heart Association. (n.d.). Target heart rates. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates

3. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023, April 7). Exercise intensity: How to measure it. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887

4. Harvard Health Publishing. (2017, November). Understanding aerobic exercise. Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/understanding-aerobic-exercise

5. American College of Sports Medicine. (2021). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

See less