Examples of Cardiovascular Fitness

Poke your head through the doors of virtually any gym and you're bound to see people performing cardiovascular exercises. This type of exercise is different from strength training, which you perform to build muscle. Cardio exercise can take several forms, but people often add it to their workout regimens to burn calories and shed fat.

  1. Cardio Exercise Definition

    • A cardio exercise, according to HealthStatus.com, is anything that increases your heart rate. This type of exercise also boosts your breathing rate and involves the use of many muscle groups. Cardio exercises are ideal because, in addition to burning calories to help you lose weight, they strengthen your cardiovascular system and muscles. Other benefits include lowering blood pressure, decreasing the risk of many medical issues and improving lung capacity, notes the Cleveland Clinic. People often use the terms "cardio" and "aerobic" interchangeably when discussing this type of exercise.

    Outdoor Cardio Exercises

    • Many types of cardiovascular exercise can take place outdoors, giving you the ability to burn calories and, in general, improve your health without traveling to a gym. Common outdoor exercises are walking, jogging, cycling, inline skating, swimming, kayaking and rowing. Outdoor sports that provide a cardiovascular workout include soccer, basketball and tennis. The more vigorous the activity, the more calories you'll burn. For example, Harvard Medical School notes that a 155-pound person burns 149 calories in 30 minutes of walking at 3.5 mph but 372 calories in 30 minutes of running at 6 mph.

    Indoor Cardio Exercises

    • If you have access to a gym, many pieces of exercise equipment are well-suited for a cardio workout. The treadmill, rowing machine, elliptical trainer, stair climber and stationary bicycle all can help you burn calories while building muscle. Many gyms also offer cardio classes including step aerobics, dance and general calisthenics such as jumping rope. A 155-pound person burns 260 calories in 30 minutes of high-impact aerobics and 391 calories in a vigorous 30-minute stationary bike workout.

    Low-Impact Cardio

    • Consider choosing a low-impact cardio exercise if you have knee or back problems and experience pain during high-impact exercises such as jogging. Low-impact means that at least one foot has contact with the floor -- or a comparable surface -- at all times. Such exercises include walking, cycling and modified versions of high-impact moves. For example, step your feet in and out one at a time instead of hopping during jumping jacks. Aquatic cardio also eases the impact typical of exercises on land, given the cushion the water creates. Swimming and water aerobics are ideal alternatives if you feel pain during high-impact movements but still want a good workout. A 155-pound person burns 149 calories in 30 minutes of water aerobics and 372 calories in 30 minutes of swimming the breaststroke.