As stated in numerous studies, it is essential for your benefit of survival to increase CRF and promote physical activity to prevent later cardiovascular diseases, all-cause mortality, and disease-specific mortality risks. The American Heart Association states that we need to fit in 150 minutes of physical activity per week. (AHA et al,. 2018).
What can be done to increase CRF and is low intensity exercise enough?
Clearly, there are many factors associated with lower CRF, but
Therefore, it is important to know your VO2 max to determine what exercise programs you may need to add to your daily routine. Aerobic exercises (any type of cardiovascular conditioning) are a great way to improve one's cardiorespiratory endurance. It is exercises that make someone provide effort in a sustained period of time. Some examples of Aerobic exercises consist of walking, swimming, running, or cycling. You probably know it as “cardio.” It is important that one breathes deeply while doing the exercises, that way more oxygen can be produced to the muscles (Chertoff 2020).
Some daily exercises that can be done to increase your CRF are:
Walking- daily can reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression.
Swimming is a low-impact exercise, so it’s good for people prone to or recovering from an injury or living with limited mobility. It can help you tone your muscles and build strength and endurance.
Running- one of the most effective forms of aerobic exercise. It can improve heart health, burn fat and calories, and lift your mood, just to name a few.
Cycling- This low-impact exercise can help develop leg strength.
It should be noted that Harber et al. (2017) explicitly states that higher intensity exercise is associated with higher CRF.
Here is a useful additional resource for anyone interested.