Cardiovascular Endurance
Cardiovascular Endurance is defined as the ability of the heart and lungs to provide an adequate supply of oxygen to the body over an extended period of time.
The heart is the "certain" of the cardiovascular system and since everybody thrives on oxygen, building and maintaining strong healthy heart is crucial for your overall health.
Cardiovascular Endurance: The
greatest single cause of death in the United States is coronary heart disease (CHD).
CHD usually presents warning signs in the form of the following risk factors,
such as elevated blood lipids, hypertension, and disturbances in heart rhythms.
These risk factors have been shown to be related to people’s lifestyles. Stress,
cigarette smoking, consumption of fat, and physical inactivity are lifestyle
habits that have a direct tie to CHD mortality. According to a recent report
from the Surgeon General, lack of regular exercise and physical activity
contribute to the development of other CHD risk factors.
Research suggests that by engaging in regular exercise and physical activity
that improves the cardiovascular system (aerobic capacity), individuals can
reduce many risk factors associated with coronary heart disease. This is
especially true for young people. There is strong evidence that the onset and
rapid development of CHD can begin during youth, and may eventually become
irreversible.
Cardiovascular Endurance is evaluated by performing the Mile Run for time
outdoors or the Pacer test indoors. Aerobic (another name for cardiovascular:
cardio = heart, vascular - veins and arteries) activities are incorporated
throughout the physical education curriculum in order to improve this component.
These activities include walking activities, jogging, running, jumping rope,
distance swims, stationary bicycling, aerobic dance, step aerobics, basketball,
team handball, touch football or any other activities which utilize the large
muscles of the legs and elevates the heart rate.
