Helena's Health Care Clinic Advice Blog

Cardio exercise has been proven to be one of the best ways to keep your heart healthy and fit. It can also help strengthen your bones, burn calories and prevent diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other chronic diseases.

Cardio exercise includes any physical activity that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe harder for an extended period of time. Cardiovascular exercises are aerobic exercises that increase the amount of oxygen in the body and help build endurance. Among the many types of exercise available, cardio exercise (also known as aerobic exercise) is one of the most effective for women.

Here are four benefits of cardio exercise for women's health:

1. Cardio Makes Your Bone's Stronger

Women who exercise regularly have a lower risk of osteoporosis. Cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart and improves circulation, which is important because it allows more blood to reach your bones. This helps strengthen them and keep them healthy. Women's health is also improved by the fact that cardiovascular exercise prevents bone loss and increases bone density. 

2. Cardio Exercise Can Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease

Heart disease is a major killer in Australia today — especially among women — but regular exercise can help prevent heart disease and reduce risk factors for cardiovascular problems in both men and women. Regular aerobic exercise lowers blood pressure, which reduces strain on your heart and reduces your risk of stroke or heart attack. It also helps keep cholesterol levels low by increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol levels while lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels. And because aerobic exercise boosts oxygen delivery to your body, it helps keep blood flowing to the heart, brain and other vital organs. 

3. Cardio Can Improve Women's Mental Health

Cardiovascular exercise can help relieve stress and depression, reduce anxiety and boost self-esteem. Regular aerobic exercise improves sleep quality by helping the body produce more of a hormone called melatonin, which helps regulate circadian rhythms. Exercise also stimulates the production of endorphins — the body's natural "feel good" chemicals — which are released when you're active and make you feel better about yourself.

4. Cardio Exercise Improves Insulin Sensitivity In Women 

Women who are post-menopausal and have type 2 diabetes are more likely to be insulin resistant than younger women. This is because the ovaries and adrenal glands play a role in regulating the body's response to insulin, so when they stop producing hormones after menopause, many women become less sensitive to insulin. Cardio exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve insulin sensitivity. 

To find out more about the benefits of cardio exercise on women's health, contact your local women's health clinic today.