Cirulatory and respiratory exercises for a fully functioning, healthy body.
Circulatory and respiratory exercises engage your heart, lungs, arteries, and veins to promote a fully functioning and healthy body. It’s well known that maintaining a healthy heart and lungs is essential for overall wellness. Consequently, many people include cardiovascular exercises in their weekly routines but often do so haphazardly. Some stick exclusively to steady-state cardio, either neglecting to allow adequate time for effects to manifest or jumping into high-intensity workouts like BootCamp, Orangetheory, or CrossFit before their bodies are prepared. Others may mistakenly believe that simply taping their mouths shut at night will resolve related issues.
When approaching circulatory and respiratory exercises, it’s crucial to start from your current fitness level and address any deficiencies. Gradually progress toward your goals and integrate these exercises into a holistic program to ensure that all elements of your fitness routine work together.
Cardiovascular exercises, holistically
Did you know that cardiovascular exercise encompasses much more than just ensuring your heart and lungs function properly? There are five training zones to consider, and skipping the first two in favor of the last three can significantly hinder your progress. Hydration also plays a vital role in your capability to perform circulatory and respiratory exercises effectively. Additionally, your body posture influences the efficiency of your heart, lungs, arteries, and veins.
These are important considerations when implementing a solid cardio and respiratory routine in your life. We have also crafted a detailed article on holistic training that you might find beneficial.
Circulatory and Respiratory: Beyond VO₂ Max
The lungs
For beginners, a good starting point is the Karvonen formula: (Maximum Heart Rate – Resting Heart Rate) x Target Heart Rate. If your goal is to optimize your cardio capacity, take into account your heart rate reserve and progress systematically.
Ensure that the seven layers of soft tissue in your body are mobile and strong enough to facilitate oxygen intake and maintain stability. Your diaphragm must be both strong and mobile. Are your ribs flexible enough to allow for effective breathing? Which areas of your lungs require more attention? It’s essential to understand how different lung structures and alveoli contribute to your overall respiratory health.
Failing to address these factors can impede the effectiveness of your cardiovascular exercises.
Circulatory
Effective circulation goes beyond merely moving blood; it’s about how efficiently blood flows through the heart, arteries, and veins. This efficiency relies on the freedom of your system within the fascia that supports and connects it. Hydration, the functionality of various heart components, and the strength of contractile elements all play significant roles in efficient circulation.
Sustainable cardiovascular training should be viewed as a foundation for a healthier life, not just an opportunity to break a sweat.
How to incorporate circulatory and respiratory exercises into your program
Proper coaching is essential for correctly integrating cardiovascular exercises into your fitness program. We use these cardiovascular exercises in our holistic exercise and fitness program. They are combined with segmental muscle strengthening, ELDOAs, Myofascial Stretching, Proprioception exercises, Global Postural Stretching, and Primal Movement exercises. Let us assist you with expert coaching through one of our services.
