For maximum effectiveness along with safety, cardiovascular workouts are designed to balance three main factors – frequency, intensity and duration. Before entering the main intensity period of the workout, a warm-up period is necessary. Similarly, a cool-down period is also required before ending the workout. A warm-up for 5-10 minutes at low intensity, prepares the muscles for exercise and accelerates the heart rate. If you are walking, start by walking at an easy pace. Stretch the muscles that will be used during the workout. This can be done through flexibility stretches. The intensity of the warm-up must not be more than 50-60% of your maximum heart rate.

For cardiovascular benefits, the duration of the target intensity exercises should last for 20 to 60 minutes, apart from the time taken to warm up and cool down. During this time, the body exhausts its glycogen energy, and starts burning stored fats. Even though shorter exercise duration would still burn calories, the best benefits of cardiovascular exercise can be reaped only if the maximum heart rate exercises last between 20 and 60 minutes. For beginners, it is important to concentrate on the posture and form of the exercises, rather than their intensity. For those who are walking, they must focus on a gradual increase in the number of minutes walked per session. It is safest to increase the intensity of the workout by 10% every week. Once a comfortable posture has been attained, the intensity of the workout may be increased by including walks on hilly or inclined plains, or by increasing the speed. For most cardiovascular exercise programs, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends an average frequency of three to five times a week. Alternating a day of intense workout, with a day of rest or low intensity exercise like yoga or stretching is a good idea.

After the target heart zone exercises have been completed, you must cool down by doing low intensity exercises for another 5 to 10 minutes. Usually, cooling down exercise include gentle stretching of the muscles primarily used in the workout. Once again, the intensity of the exercises must be 50-60% of the maximum heart rate.

Group fitness classes are an effective way of doing cardiovascular exercise because the energy and the music serve as great driving forces. They are also a lot of fun, and therefore do not cause boredom. As long as you are taking professional group fitness classes, you will always have the assurance that you are doing the right thing, because you will be led through the entire workout by your instructor. That also saves the trouble of having to decide which exercises you will do, or which machines you will work out on, on a any given day.

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