What Does Cardiovascular Fitness Mean?

Cardiovascular fitness refers to how efficiently your heart, lungs and vascular system carry oxygen to your muscles. The vascular system is the network of arteries and veins that carry blood throughout your body.

  1. Cardiovascular System

    • Oxygen enters your body through your lungs. When you breathe in, oxygen is transferred into your bloodstream. Your heart pumps the oxygenated blood around your body to your muscles, where the individual cells use the oxygen to produce energy. People with a good level of cardiovascular fitness perform this process more efficiently than those with lower levels of fitness.

    Factors

    • The ability of your body's systems to deliver oxygen to your muscles is influenced by a number of factors, says the American Sports Medicine Institute. These include maximal oxygen consumption, heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output.

    Improving Cardiovascular Fitness

    • You may improve your cardiovascular fitness by doing regular, moderate-to-vigorous exercise. The American Heart Association recommends undertaking 30 minutes of activity most days of the week to keep your heart and lungs fit and strong. That does not require a gym session: Activities like housework, gardening and dancing all make a difference.