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Firstly lets take a look at what cardio really means. Cardiovascular exercise (to give it its full name) simply includes any activity that raises your heart rate to a certain working level. People should be taking regular cardio exercise as part of their daily routine.

To understand how important cardio is, lets look at some of the benefits regular cardio provides: -

1. A stronger and healthier heart that won't feel the strain as much when it pumps blood around the body.

2. Increased lung capacity meaning a person will not get out of breath so easily.

3. It gives you the feel-good factor and relieves stress which is excellent for a person's health.

4. A cardio workout is an excellent way to burn calories and maintain or lose weight.

5. It aids restful sleep.

So now that you know that cardiovascular exercise will not only help you lose weight, feel great and reduce stress, it is important that you find the cardio exercise that is right for you. Find exercises that you enjoy and suit your way of life. Imagine your ideal environment where you want to work out. If you love being outdoors in the fresh air then there is jogging, brisk walks, cycling and climbing among others. A lot of people prefer to workout at the gym and enjoy the social aspect that comes with a gym membership. To get a good cardio workout at the gym use the treadmills, exercise bikes, step machines, rowing machines and elliptical training machines. For more variety and a well balanced workout rotate between cardio machines and weight machines. Of course gym memberships can prove to be expensive and some people (particularly those new to exercise) may be too self conscious to visit a gym or workout outdoors, these type of people may be suited to exercising at home. This could involve an exercise bike or treadmill but you could also use a keep fit DVD or do yoga. Whichever place you choose to workout (it may be a combination of two or three), it will take a lot of commitment and dedication. If you choose exercises that you enjoy then you are a lot more likely to stick with it. You can also make small changes everyday such as taking the stairs or walking to work.

If you are looking for rapid safe weight loss then harness the power of cardio exercise combined with a sensible low fat diet.